The Washington Post (10/27, Bernstein) reports, “Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra outlined the Biden administration’s strategy for curbing drug overdoses Wednesday, committing more federal support for harm reduction techniques such as distribution of clean syringes and test strips used to check street drugs for hidden fentanyl.” This “four-part strategy also includes measures to prevent drug addiction, in part by continuing to reduce the inappropriate prescribing of opioids; expand medication-based treatment, which research has shown to be the most effective approach; and improve support for people recovering from substance use disorder.”
The Hill (10/27, Coleman) says this new “strategy comes as HHS released a report finding more than 840,000 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. between 1999 and 2019, including about 93,000 last year during the COVID-19 pandemic when overdose fatalities rose.” In this report, “HHS labels confronting these overdose deaths as ‘a top priority’ for the department.”
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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)