BALTIMORE, MD (February 4, 2016)– Today, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen released the following statement in response to the Obama Administration’s proposed $1.1 billion in new funding to address the prescription opioid abuse and heroin use epidemic:

“I applaud the Obama Administration’s commitment to fighting the opioid epidemic and helping our country’s most vulnerable individuals increase access to treatment. The President’s FY17 budget includes $1.1 billion dollars to ensure that all Americans who want treatment can get the help they need. I am thrilled to see our national leaders recognize addiction as a disease to be addressed through medical treatment rather than incarceration.

In Baltimore, we have declared opioid abuse a public health emergency and have launched one of the most aggressive opioid overdose prevention efforts in the country. We issued a citywide blanket prescription for the overdose antidote, naloxone, launched the “Don’t Die” public awareness campaign to reduce stigma, launched a 24/7 addiction resource phone line, and secured funding for a Stabilization Center for emergency substance use treatment. We have been recognized as a national leader for our innovative, evidence-based strategies to combat opioid use and have testified before the Senate HELP committee to discuss what we are doing to transform Baltimore from the nation’s heroin capital into a center for recovery.

Though much can be done on the city and state levels, we cannot end the nation’s opioid epidemic without financial support from our federal partners and this new proposal from the Obama Administration shows that President Obama takes our nation’s opioid epidemic seriously. By continuing to work collectively across all levels of government, we can combat the disease of addiction in our communities.”