Obama to announce federal push to fight heroin use

As for having insurers eliminate barriers to treatment, "There are excellent programs already available to the greater population", including those with health insurance from the federal government.

"Over time a public health model had a drastic impact on smoking", he noted, "and nicotine is as addictive as any of the drugs we're talking about". In addition, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will develop an education campaign for health care professionals, and will issue a report on substance abuse, addiction and health next year. "I'm now hopeful this administration is going to come through with the goods and give us the tools to deal with the epidemic". "Because if we can start thinking intelligently about treatment on the opioids and prescription drug side, then people start making the connection".

Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Sylvia Mathews Burwell, a Hinton native, joined the president on the stage.

The president is demanding movement.

Wednesday's announcement was also set to double the number of providers that can prescribe Naloxone.

"The reason West Virginia has more cases partly has to do with the economics that have taken place in a few of these communities", during the forum. Despite the medical consensus, judges and treatment providers have a strong bias against MAT. "Without recovery, I would not be standing before you today as the proud, hardworking, resilient, hopeful man I am". "I like that", the president said.

"There's a broader point that the president fully understands, that there is a link between social conditions and addiction", an anonymous senior White House official told The New York Times. He said, "It's always positive to see Republicans and Democrats working together" (The Hill, 10/21).

Steve Krivjanik, Manatee County EMS Chief, said there have been more than 1,200 heroin overdoses since January. Too many heroin addicts also lack access to supports like well-trained behavioral health counselors.

The scene was significantly different than what was seen less than an hour earlier when about 75 people, including politicians and coal miners, gathered at the State Capitol Complex to express their frustrations with Obama. If they seek MAT, they are met with criticism from the 12-step community.

Hilde Phipps, the center's director of adult addiction services said Wednesday's national attention to the issue is both welcome and long overdue. But he has 400 others on a waiting list. Also present was WVU professor John Temple, whose newly released book "American Pain" outlines the largest painkiller distribution ring in the United States and looks at the massive rise in the use and abuse of narcotic painkillers over the past two decades. Sullivan credits the president with helping to make such treatment more mainstream. "I think the other take a way is that this is a disease it's not something to be shoved in the corner that's incurable or that you can incarcerate somebody and it's all going to be okay". Michael McAuliff contributed reporting.

The Obama administration hopes to double the number of doctors, from 30,000 to 60,000, who can prescribe buprenorphine, and announced that more than 40 medical provider groups have committed to training more than a half million doctors, dentists and others on the safe prescription of opiate medications. "The problem is, though, that there is very little infrastructure for the outpatient treatment of substance use disorders and in my opinion that is what we should be focused on".