WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), along with U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), on Wednesday introduced a bipartisan resolution to officially recognize September as “National Recovery Month” to help publicize treatment options and increase understanding of mental illness and substance use disorders. Officially started in 1989, National Recovery Month is supported by more than 200 nonprofit organizations and local, state and federal government entities. The United States is in the midst of a heroin and opioid epidemic wreaking havoc on local communities and devastating families.

“I’ve seen in Connecticut how addiction can wreck lives and rip families apart. But just as importantly, I’ve seen how effective treatment and recovery programs, with the support of friends and loved ones, can help put the pieces back together,” said Murphy. “We introduced this bipartisan resolution to officially recognize National Recovery Month because increasing awareness is crucial. The more people who know about resources available to help them, the more lives will be saved. Go to RecoveryMonth.gov to learn more.” 

“As addiction continues to devastate communities and families throughout West Virginia, we must raise awareness of the available treatment and recovery measures. By introducing the National Recovery Month resolution, I am hopeful that more people will become educated about treatment options. This is a critical component of the spectrum of solutions needed to save lives and fight back against the scourge of addiction,” said Capito.

“There’s a battle underway in our country – being fought state by state, county by county, and doctor’s office by doctor’s office – to help Americans suffering from addiction to prescription opioids and other drugs,” said Alexander. “This summer, Congress passed legislation to give Tennessee and other states a substantial federal boost in the fight against the growing opioid epidemic – which claims more than 1,000 Tennessee lives each year. And, this fall, I expect the Senate to pass the Senate health committee’s bipartisan mental health and substance abuse legislation to continue our work supporting those on the front lines of helping Americans with substance use disorders.”

“This resolution represents a shared commitment toward solving the many challenges that patients and families face when they seek care for substance use disorder and mental illness,” said Murray. “As I travel throughout my home state of Washington, I’ve talked to family after family who has been especially impacted by addiction—mothers, fathers, seniors, and young people—with such tragic stories. I’m proud to be working alongside Senator Murphy and others, on both sides of the aisle, to push for bipartisan action on these issues and to renew our commitment to providing the support, care, and treatment that so many people across the country desperately need.”

The full text of the resolution is available online and below:

RESOLUTION  Recognizing the importance of substance use disorder treatment and recovery in the United States.

Whereas National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month is observed in September of 2016;

Whereas, in 2015, an estimated 17,000,000 individuals in the United States were dependent on, or abused, alcohol;

Whereas substance use disorders are a serious public health threat in the United States, and are associated with—

(1) mental and physical health conditions;

(2) lower educational attainment;

(3) underemployment or unemployment;

(4) involvement with the criminal justice system;

(5) victimization and perpetration of violence; and

(6) homelessness;

Whereas, in 2014, 9.4 percent of adolescents in the United States used illicit drugs during the month before being surveyed;

Whereas young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 have higher rates of alcohol dependence and abuse and illicit substance dependence and abuse as compared to other age groups;

Whereas the rates of alcohol dependence or abuse and illicit substance dependence or abuse are higher among individuals—

(1) without health insurance;

(2) living in households with incomes less than 100 percent of the Federal poverty level; and

(3) living in metropolitan areas;

Whereas 90 percent of individuals with alcohol dependence or abuse do not receive, or perceive a need for, treatment for their alcohol use;

Whereas the most recent epidemic of substance use disorders relates to prescription opioids and heroin, and approximately 600 individuals begin using heroin each day;

Whereas overdose deaths from opioids have nearly quadrupled since 1999;

Whereas drug-related suicide attempts leading to emergency department visits have increased by 51 percent since 2005;

Whereas 23,500,000 individuals in the United States are in recovery from substance use disorders;

Whereas the stigma associated with substance use disorders is an additional barrier to people of the United States who strive toward recovery every day;

Whereas substance use treatment has been shown to be effective in reducing substance use, and can produce positive outcomes for individuals; and

Whereas there is a nationwide need for—

(1) increased education regarding substance use;

(2) increased access to substance use treatment; and

(3) increased attention to reducing substance use stigma: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) recognizes the importance of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month;

(2) affirms the continued need of the United States to provide resources for substance use education, treatment, and research; and

(3) honors the significant achievements of people of the United States who are in recovery from substance use disorders.

 

###