US Drug Czar Opens National Harm Reduction Conference in Unprecedented Move
Will Godfrey
October 23, 2014
“It really is no coincidence that I’m here,” declared Michael Botticelli, the US drug czar, at the opening of the 10th National Harm Reduction Conference this morning in Baltimore. Although his speech, which won him a standing ovation from the hundreds of delegates, stuck to politically safer topics, his very involvement represents an unprecedented endorsement of the harm reduction movement by the federal government.
“I hope that my presence here reflects the Obama administration’s commitment to continuing drug policy reform,” said Botticelli, whose official title is acting director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). He spoke of a desire to ensure that “federal policy reflects the needs of people on the ground,” and also expressed the hope that his working relationship with the Harm Reduction Coalition will “continue to grow.”
The policy details of his speech, showcasing the government’s progressive credentials, covered improvements in the areas of sentencing reform (“behind a rap sheet there is a real person, often struggling with a substance abuse disorder, who needs treatment”); the prevention of nonmedical prescription drug use and overdose, including naloxone distribution and Good Samaritan laws; and medication-assisted treatment (MAT, including methadone and buprenorphine).
His endorsement of the latter was notably ringing: MAT “should be recognized as a standard of care for opioid addiction,” he said, and denied to no one. MAT “can mean the difference between hope or despair, or between life and death,” he continued. “To put it simply, people maintained on medication-assisted treatment don’t die.”
His humble, friendly tone went down well, as did interspersing his speech with inspiring stories of people he has met whose lives have been transformed thanks to health improvements facilitated by better policy.
continued here http://www.substance.com/us-drug-cz...ction-conference-in-unprecedented-move/14526/
Will Godfrey
October 23, 2014
“It really is no coincidence that I’m here,” declared Michael Botticelli, the US drug czar, at the opening of the 10th National Harm Reduction Conference this morning in Baltimore. Although his speech, which won him a standing ovation from the hundreds of delegates, stuck to politically safer topics, his very involvement represents an unprecedented endorsement of the harm reduction movement by the federal government.
“I hope that my presence here reflects the Obama administration’s commitment to continuing drug policy reform,” said Botticelli, whose official title is acting director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). He spoke of a desire to ensure that “federal policy reflects the needs of people on the ground,” and also expressed the hope that his working relationship with the Harm Reduction Coalition will “continue to grow.”
The policy details of his speech, showcasing the government’s progressive credentials, covered improvements in the areas of sentencing reform (“behind a rap sheet there is a real person, often struggling with a substance abuse disorder, who needs treatment”); the prevention of nonmedical prescription drug use and overdose, including naloxone distribution and Good Samaritan laws; and medication-assisted treatment (MAT, including methadone and buprenorphine).
His endorsement of the latter was notably ringing: MAT “should be recognized as a standard of care for opioid addiction,” he said, and denied to no one. MAT “can mean the difference between hope or despair, or between life and death,” he continued. “To put it simply, people maintained on medication-assisted treatment don’t die.”
His humble, friendly tone went down well, as did interspersing his speech with inspiring stories of people he has met whose lives have been transformed thanks to health improvements facilitated by better policy.
continued here http://www.substance.com/us-drug-cz...ction-conference-in-unprecedented-move/14526/
