BALTIMORE, MD (October 21, 2015)– Today, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen released the following statement in response to President Obama’s Memorandum on Addressing Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Use:

“I am thrilled to see the Obama Administration taking such strong steps toward helping our country’s most vulnerable individuals. Addiction is a disease, and the Presidential Memorandum goes a long way in addressing barriers to treatment and targets prevention and outreach efforts while moving away from criminalization.

Here in Baltimore, we are addressing the opioid epidemic through efforts to prevent overdose death with a citywide standing order for the opioid antidote, naloxone; reducing stigma through the Don’t Die campaign; piloting a 24/7 citywide addiction resource phone line and an “alternate ER” (Stabilization Center). Baltimore is quickly becoming a national model for overdose prevention and opioid treatment; however, we also acknowledge that there is much more to do—both here in Baltimore and across the country.

We need to make sure that naloxone is part of everyone’s medicine cabinet, and is available in all public settings—like defibrillators. The President’s Memorandum proposes renewed emphasis on physician education; we must also enforce judicious opioid prescribing through licensing regulations and ensure co-prescribing of naloxone for all individuals at risk for opioid overdose.

As we implement these harm reduction strategies, we also need to dramatically expand access to treatment. Addiction treatment and mental health support should be available to all on demand, at the moment that a patient is seeking help. In order for this to happen, we need the help of our state and federal partners to reduce the cost of naloxone and to dramatically increase funding for evidence-based treatment including medication-assisted treatment, mental health services, and wrap-around case management.

We applaud the Obama Administration’s renewed efforts around this issue and hope that they will support jurisdictions like Baltimore who are leading the way in the fight against the national opioid abuse epidemic.”