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Bipartisan Legislation Aims to Expand Access to Opioid Addiction Treatment for Adolescents

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Legislation was introduced in the Senate by West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito and Michigan Senator Gary Peters to reauthorize funding for the Youth Prevention and Recovery Initiative, a grant program that provides access to opioid addiction treatment for adolescents. The initiative, which was established as part of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act in 2018, aims to increase access to life-saving addiction treatments and resources for adolescents. The bipartisan legislation, known as the Youth Prevention and Recovery Reauthorization Act, would reauthorize funding for the initiative and ensure that this critical resource remains available to adolescents, families, care providers, and communities.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Youth Prevention and Recovery Reauthorization Act aims to reauthorize funding for the Youth Prevention and Recovery Initiative, a grant program that provides access to opioid addiction treatment for adolescents.
  • The initiative was established as part of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act in 2018.
  • According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), more than 695,000 American adolescents used opioids for nonmedical reasons in 2018, up by more than 400,000 since the last study was conducted in 2015.
  • The Youth Prevention and Recovery Initiative provides funding to hospitals, local governments, and other eligible entities to increase access to opioid addiction medications for adolescents and young adults who have been diagnosed with opioid use disorder.
  • The use of certain medications, such as buprenorphine, has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for opioid addiction and improves success rates for continuing treatment and recovery.
  • Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with buprenorphine and other effective drugs is an essential public health tool to prevent future loss of life for those suffering from opioid addiction.
  • The legislation also aims to address the unique barriers that adolescents and young adults face in accessing medication for addiction treatment.

Statistics:

  • More than 695,000 American adolescents used opioids for nonmedical reasons in 2018, up by more than 400,000 since the last study was conducted in 2015 (Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
  • Median monthly overdose deaths among persons aged 10-19 years (adolescents) increased 109% from July-December 2019 to July-December 2021 (Source: Centers for Disease Control).
  • The authorization of the program, and the SUPPORT Act, expired on September 30, 2023 (Source: Congressional text).

Sources:

  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA)
  • Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
  • Congressional text: Youth Prevention and Recovery Reauthorization Act
  • American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP)
  • American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
  • Partnership to End Addiction

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