Last month, President Obama announced a new plan as part of his effort to curb heroin addiction. This Christian Science Monitor article reported that this plan is part of a broader initiative “toward looking to help addicts rather than punish them.”
This plan includes several different parts, all aimed toward reducing heroin addiction throughout the U.S. through preventative measures and making treatment more accessible for the estimated 2 million Americans who are addicted to prescription drugs or heroin.
More training needed
President Obama’s plan enhances physician training for who prescribe opioids, which is the pain medication many heroin addicts misuses before beginning to use heroin. Federal agencies will now take greater care to ensure there is prescriber training for federal health care providers, including assessing the risk of opioid misuse, counseling patients about safety measures, and monitoring patients to prevent addiction from taking hold.
While preventative measures are great, what about the millions of Americans who are already addicted to heroin?
President Obama’s plan also addresses them. He asked various federal agencies to review what barriers to treatment by medication exist, and to submit an action plan to fix these barriers within 90 days.
Helpful medication
The administration would also like to expand access to medications that can help heroin addicts transition off drugs, as well as drug overdose antidotes such as naloxone.
Where is this coming from?
President Obama’s plan is part of a monumental shift that has happened in American culture over the past decade or two. The “lock ‘em up and throw away the key” policies of the 80s and 90s seem downright barbaric to many modern Americans. Bloated prisons, strained state budgets, and a genuine sense of human compassion have all been key factors on this shift, the results of which have yet to be fully seen. But hopefully this new perspective will result in fewer people in prison, fewer harsh punishments, and many more productive citizens who are free to feed their families.
What do you think of the way the American mindset towards drug addicts and other people who have committed crimes is changing the criminal justice system?
How this relates to your criminal case
If you’ve been charged with a crime, or you might be charged in the near future, you can benefit from this trend, but only if you contact an excellent criminal defense lawyer to represent you. If you’re in Southern California, the best choice is Dan Chambers, founder of the Chambers Law Firm. Prospective clients are entitled to a free consultation—call 714-760-4088 or email dchambers@clfca.com to schedule yours today.
