Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today released the following statement after President Trump signed into law the bipartisan Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) Act to fight the opioid epidemic:

“Addiction doesn't care about your race, gender, social class, or politics,” said Bost. “It has ravaged families and communities right here in Southern Illinois. That's why it's so important that we were able to come together around this historic, bipartisan legislation to fight the opioid crisis. If we work together, we can save lives and continue to restore hope.”

Key Components of the SUPPORT Act (H.R. 6):

Treatment and Recovery

• Improve and expand access to treatment and recovery services
• Provide incentives for enhanced care, coordination, and innovation
• Establish comprehensive opioid recovery centers

Prevention

• Encourage non-addictive opioid alternatives to treat pain
• Improve data to identify and help at-risk patients and families
• Address high prescribing rates while enhancing prescription drug monitoring programs

Protecting Communities

• Give law enforcement tools to get dangerous drugs out of our communities
• Better intercept illicit opioids at international mail facilities
• Improve access to federal resources for local communities

Fighting Fentanyl

• Better tackle ever-changing synthetic drugs
• Crack down on foreign shipments of illicit drugs
• Provide grants for local communities to combat fentanyl

A Section-By-Section Summary can be found HERE.

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