Addressing heroin addiction is a critical priority of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, City of Baltimore, who convened the Heroin Treatment and Prevention Task Force to come up with urgent and actionable strategies. This report outlines the recommendations and the work that must continue in order to address this life-and-death issue.
Confronting New Jersey’s New Drug Problem: A Strategic Action Plan to Address A Burgeoning Heroin/Opiate Epidemic Among Adolescents and Young Adults
The skyrocketing use of heroin and other opiates has become the number one health care crisis confronting New Jersey. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive and multidisciplinary plan of action to address the prescription drug and heroin epidemic, on March 20, 2012, the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse established a Task Force on Heroin and Other Opiate Use by New Jersey’s Youth and Young Adults. The Task Force was charged to present a report with actionable recommendations that would help to stem the tide of this horrific scourge.
Wisconsin’s Heroin Epidemic: Strategies and Solutions
In recognition of the growing heroin problem, the Wisconsin State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (SCAODA) established the Heroin Ad-hoc Committee in November 2013. The Ad-hoc Committee was charged with researching and discussing the incidence of heroin use and overdoses in Wisconsin. The Ad-hoc Committee researched and discussed programs that could be used to prevent the use of heroin, the legal and social consequences of heroin use and substance use disorders (SUDs), harm reduction strategies and treatment options to create safer and healthier communities.
Each month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) release and monthly report called CDC Vital Signs. The July 2015 report focuses on today’s heroin epidemic and includes the latest statistics, response and prevention guidance, and what can be done at the federal, state, and provider levels.