Policy News Roundup: August 1, 2024

Key reads

SAMHSA releases 2023 NSDUH

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. In the past year, more people initiated nicotine vaping than any other substance. Nearly half of the population used alcohol and nearly a quarter used tobacco products or vaped nicotine in the past month. One in four used illicit substances in the past year, with marijuana being the most common. Approximately 3% intentionally misused a stimulant or opioids in the past year. The survey found 48.5 million people (17.1%) had a substance use disorder in the past year, including 27.2 million (9.6%) with a substance use disorder, 28.9 million (10.2%) with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and 5.7 million (2%) with opioid use disorder (OUD). Among those classified as needing substance use treatment in the past year, about one in four received treatment. The survey found 1.9% of those with AUD and 18% of those with OUD received medication treatment, while 73.1% of adults who perceived they ever had a substance use problem considered themselves to be in recovery (22.2 million). Nearly one in four adults had any mental illness in the past year.

Source: SAMHSA Releases Annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)

Report shows high rates of alcohol, drug and suicide deaths persist

Trust for America’s Health released its 2024 “Pain in the Nation” report, which tracks alcohol, drug and suicide deaths. Reporting on 2022 data, it found that a decrease in the alcohol-induced mortality rate led to a slightly lower combined rate of all U.S. deaths due to intentional substance misuse and suicide, but such fatalities are still high. The combined rate of deaths due to alcohol, drugs and suicide has increased 142% between 2002 and 2022 (74,003 deaths to 207,827). In 2022, the alcohol-induced mortality rate decreased by 6%, the first decrease after more than a decade of increases. The death rates for overdose and suicide remain unchanged. American Indian/Alaska Native, Black and white people have higher than average combined rates for alcohol, drug and suicide deaths. New Mexico, West Virginia and Alaska had the highest rates in 2022. The report includes recommendations for steps that federal, state and local government and other stakeholders should take, including investing in prevention and community conditions that promote health, reducing overdose risk and access to lethal means of suicide through harm reduction programs and strengthening the prevention system.

Source: Pain in the Nation 2024: the Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug, and Suicide Deaths (Trust for America’s Health)

White House takes new actions to stop fentanyl trafficking

President Biden issued a National Security Memorandum (fact sheet) directing federal departments and agencies to do more to stop the flow of narcotics into the country. It will enable the government to disrupt drug cartels and their suppliers and financiers more quickly and effectively, increase intelligence collection on traffickers’ evolving tactics and help law enforcement personnel seize more drugs before they reach communities. Biden calls on Congress to pass proposals to increase penalties on drug smugglers, give border officials tools to target fentanyl at the border and close other loopholes that traffickers exploit. This includes legislation to make it harder for fentanyl to end up in fake pills, set up a national pill press registry, impose new penalties on drug traffickers and smugglers and place fentanyl-related substances in Schedule I and xylazine in Schedule III. He also calls on Congress to pass the bipartisan border security agreement that would provide funding for more border agents and more drug detection machines.

Source: Statement from President Joe Biden on New Initiatives to Beat the Opioid Epidemic (White House); Biden pushes more on fentanyl (Politico); Biden urges Congress to get tougher on fentanyl traffickers (The Washington Post)

SAMHSA awards over $45 million for behavioral health

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced $45.1 million in grants to address the mental health and overdose crises, with $15.3 million funding services specifically for youth. It includes $7.5 million for Grants for the Benefits of Homeless Individuals, $6.5 million for Project AWARE, $5.4 million for the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, $4 million for the Transforming Lives Through Supported Employment program and $4 million for the Minority AIDS Initiative-Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Racial/Ethnic Minority Populations at High Risk for HIV/AIDS program. It also includes $2.3 million for the Healthy Transitions program, $2 million for the Adult Reentry Program, $1.7 million for Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers, $1.1 million for Targeted Capacity Expansion, $1 million for the Emergency Department Alternatives to Opioids Program and $3.6 million for the State Pilot Program for Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women. In addition, it includes $1.1 million for the Statewide Family Network Program, $1 million for the Statewide Consumer Network Program and $3.9 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Improvement and Enhancement Grants.

Source: Biden-Harris Administration Awards $45.1 Million to Expand Mental Health and Substance Use Services Across the Lifespan (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)

Senators introduce youth prevention bills

Sens. Butler (D-Calif.) and Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced two bills (one-pager) to support the expansion of family and peer-focused mental health supports and prevention services for youth. The Strengthening Supports for Youth Act would establish a pilot program and provide grant funding to support parents, families and caregivers in addressing mental health and substance use challenges among the children, adolescents and young adults in their lives. It would also require a study on youth peer support services. The Prevention Services for Youth Act would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance to states on establishing an effective continuum of mental health and substance use prevention services for youth under Medicaid/CHIP that outlines how states may finance youth prevention services, identifies how states may support access to youth prevention services, describes best practices for coordinating Medicaid/CHIP funding for youth prevention services with other health insurance purveyors and identifies best practices for measuring the effectiveness of community-based services.

Source: Butler, Murkowski introduce package of mental health bills (Laphonza Butler)

FDA issues warning letters to e-cigarette retailers

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warning letters to 80 brick-and-mortar retailers in 15 states for selling unauthorized e-cigarette products popular with youth, including Elf Bar and Lost Mary. The FDA also announced the filing of complaints for civil monetary penalties against eight other retailers who failed to take action after being previously warned about selling unauthorized e-cigarettes. The 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that more than 50% of youth who use e-cigarettes reported using Elf Bar, and the Lost Mary brand is manufactured by the same firm as Elf Bar and was identified as popular or youth-appealing following agency review of retail sales and youth survey data. For the eight retailers receiving penalties after they failed to correct violations, the FDA is seeking $20,678 from each.

Source: FDA Issues Warning Letters to 80 Retailers for Selling Unauthorized Elf Bar and Lost Mary E-Cigarettes (Food and Drug Administration)

Report ranks states on mental health access and prevalence

Mental Health America released the State of Mental Health in America report, which ranks all 50 states and D.C. based on mental health access and prevalence measures. In 2022, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maine scored highest, while Nevada, Arizona and Montana ranked lowest. Barriers to obtaining behavioral health treatment persisting nationwide. According to the report, 10.1% of adults with mental illness are uninsured, compared to 9.3% of adults without, and 10% of adults and 8.5% of youth still have private insurance that does not cover mental health. One in four adults who experienced 14 or more mentally unhealthy days each month were unable to see a doctor due to costs, a 2% increase. There are 340 people for every one mental health provider, and more than 122 million people live in a mental health workforce shortage area, with only 27% of the mental health care needs in shortage areas being met. In eight states, at least 30% of adults reporting 14 or more days of mental distress per month were unable to afford help. Of those states, Georgia, Alabama and Texas also rank in the bottom five for availability of mental health workers.

Source: MHA Releases 2024 State of Mental Health in America Report (Mental Health America); Charted: Cost hurdles to mental health care (Axios)

Indivior reaches opioid settlement with states

Indivior reached an $86 million settlement with 16 states over the company’s alleged role in the opioid crisis. Indivior was accused of improperly targeting sales to doctors running pill mills and failing to monitor suspicious opioids, leading to inappropriate prescriptions of its buprenorphine products, Sublocade and Suboxone. The $86 million will be used over five years for opioid use disorder treatment, recovery and prevention. The settlement in principle still must be finalized. Indivior remains a defendant in more than 400 civil lawsuits.

Source: Indivior reaches $86 million opioid settlement with 16 US states (Reuters)

Maryland releases new overdose data dashboard

The Maryland Department of Health launched the Maryland Overdose Data Dashboard. It replaces the previous one at StopOverdose.maryland.gov, and provides a user-friendly and easy-to-understand visualization of overdose trends throughout the state. The dashboard combines data on fatal overdoses, nonfatal emergency department visits and emergency medical services naloxone administrations, which users can search by zip code. It provides the most current data available, reducing the data release period from 90 to 30 days, which allows for more proactive monitoring and response. It provides historical data at the jurisdictional level, enabling the analysis of community trends over time. It also provides insights across age, race and gender for targeted overdose responses across jurisdictions.

Source: Maryland Department of Health launches new overdose data dashboard (Maryland Department of Health)

New York providing naloxone to domestic violence programs

New York Governor Hochul announced that domestic violence shelters and service providers across the state will have access to free Overdose Emergency Kits, made available by Project COPE (Community Overdose Prevention Education), a federal grant-funded initiative. The kits are wall-mounted metal boxes containing naloxone and training resources for administering it. As part of the new initiative, residential domestic violence providers can place a kit in their shelters so that residents and staff have access to naloxone. Project COPE is also offering free training for domestic violence program staff on harm reduction and overdose prevention. Research has shown a correlation between domestic violence and substance use, and survivors experience unique risk factors that can cause major barriers to accessing care. Domestic violence programs are uniquely poised to bridge this gap by offering naloxone onsite.

Source: Governor Hochul Expands Access to Lifesaving Overdose Emergency Kits in Domestic Violence Programs Across New York (Governor Kathy Hochul)