Press Releases
PHOTOS: Wenstrup, U.S. Surgeon General Adams Discuss Ohio Efforts to Combat Opioid Crisis
Washington,
September 6, 2019
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Ann Tumolo
(202-225-3164)
CINCINNATI, OH – Yesterday, Congressman Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M. (OH-02), welcomed U.S. Surgeon General VADM Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H. to Cincinnati to see firsthand Ohio’s promising efforts in combating opioid abuse. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently awarded grants to three local health centers for their substance abuse programs, which have shown success helping individuals beat addiction. HHS also awarded additional grants to the State of Ohio and Hamilton County to expand successful treatment programs and support the collection of real-time data on the drug overdose crisis. “It was a pleasure welcoming Surgeon General Adams to Cincinnati. We spent the day meeting with health care professionals who are on the forefront of the fight against addiction. These men and women are heroes; they change the lives of those afflicted by addiction and help patients avoid addiction in the first place. Our energy and our federal grant dollars should be focused on empowering these health care professionals and supporting their effective programs that change lives for the better. The Surgeon General and I share the belief that recovery from addiction goes far beyond rehabilitation, to getting individuals and families back on their feet. We also spoke at length about overcoming the stigma associated with addiction so the addicted may overcome the barriers to asking for help. I’m proud of our local programs that care for the whole person to prevent relapse and lead to a successful future,” said Congressman Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M. “I had a wonderful day in Cincinnati with Congressman Brad Wenstrup. I heard firsthand from hospital systems, behavioral health providers, addiction specialists and law enforcement about what is working in Ohio. This is the first time in two decades that we are seeing a decline in drug overdose deaths and that’s a testament to the hard work that is going on right here in Ohio,” said Surgeon General VADM Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H. “As a nation, we are doing the right things, we are getting Naloxone out there, we are providing people with warm handoffs to care, and we are setting up meaningful recovery for people. We need to keep doing those things. We need to recognize the progress that's been made, but we also need to recognize we still got a long way to go. With the new funding from the administration, we will continue to empower recovery on a local level.”
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