In the letter to Governor Mark Dayton, Klobuchar highlights the need to focus on prevention efforts and expand access to high-quality treatment, including expanding support for long-term recovery and programs for pregnant women and mothers who suffer from addiction 

Klobuchar-backed bipartisan bills called for, and made available, the nearly $5.4 million in federal funding announced last week

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar today outlined her Minnesota priorities for the nearly $5.4 million in federal funding secured by the state last week to combat the prescription opioid and heroin crisis. In the letter to Governor Mark Dayton, Klobuchar highlights the need to focus on prevention efforts and expand access to high-quality treatment, including expanding support for long-term recovery and programs for pregnant women and mothers who suffer from addiction.

“This grant comes at a critical time for our state. Far too many families have lost loved ones to overdoses, and effective addiction treatment remains difficult to access for many Minnesotans. In communities across our state, I have heard from families devastated by this epidemic that we need to do more to fight addiction,” Klobuchar wrote. "As the Minnesota Department of Human Services considers how to allocate these federal resources, I ask that your Administration make a concerted effort to expand access to high-quality treatment for those who need it."

The funding is the first of two rounds provided for in the Klobuchar-backed, bipartisan 21st Century CURES Act, which was signed into law last year. The funding will support the treatment and prevention efforts called for in Klobuchar’s bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. Earlier this week, Klobuchar and a bipartisan group of senators met with Governor Chris Christie – who’s heading up the White House’s Opioid Addiction Commission – to discuss strategies to combat the crisis.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is this Saturday, April 29. Klobuchar passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act that expanded drug take-back sites across the country.

Full text of Klobuchar’s letter to Governor Dayton is below:

Dear Governor Dayton:

Last week, I was pleased to announce that Minnesota received nearly $5.4 million in federal funding to combat opioid addiction. That funding was made available by the bipartisan 21st Century CURES Act, which was signed into law in December. These resources will support the comprehensive array of prevention, treatment, and recovery services called for in the bipartisan legislation that I led which was signed into law last year, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act.

This grant comes at a critical time for our state. Far too many families have lost loved ones to overdoses, and effective addiction treatment remains difficult to access for many Minnesotans. In communities across our state, I have heard from families devastated by this epidemic that we need to do more to fight addiction.

As the Minnesota Department of Human Services considers how to allocate these federal resources, I ask that your Administration make a concerted effort to expand access to high-quality treatment for those who need it. With studies showing that only about one in every 10 people who suffer from opioid addiction actually receive the treatment they need, it is critical that we do more to make these services available.

In particular, we should strive to improve our state’s network of detox services, increase support for long-term recovery and sober living facilities, and ensure that Minnesotans who need life-saving medications like suboxone and naloxone can access them. Addiction is a disease, and those fighting it should be able to seek support and care in appropriate medical facilities. Unfortunately many Minnesotans will instead be sent to facilities unequipped to treat addiction, such as emergency rooms or county jails, or will not receive the help and treatment they need at all.    

Another area where these funds can have a great impact is in supporting programs for pregnant women and mothers who suffer from addiction. Over the past five years, the incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome has doubled in Minnesota. Fortunately, early intervention can protect children from this condition while also helping mothers overcome their addiction. I recently visited the Recovering Hope residential treatment center in Mora, where I saw firsthand how investments in these types of programs can help rebuild families and communities. 

We must also continue to focus on prevention efforts, so that fewer Minnesotans need treatment in the first place. Some of the most promising tools against opioid abuse are education and outreach. Ensuring our children are educated about the reality and danger of opioid abuse will help to guard against addiction in future generations.

I am hopeful that this federal funding will be used to support programs capable of improving the lives of many Minnesotans. Combined with new legislative proposals, such as the bipartisan bills that I have introduced to address the kind of “doctor shopping” that facilitates addiction and to crack down on dangerous synthetic opioids coming across our borders, we can continue to make progress in addressing this epidemic. Thank you for your attention to this critical issue, and I look forward to continuing to work together in the fight against addiction. 

CAPTION: U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar joins Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents at a drug take-back site.

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