Peters says the bill would allocate money for opioid addiction medication and prevention programs.(WECT)
UPPER MICHIGAN, Mich. (WLUC) - Adolescents who are struggling with opioid addiction could receive additional help.
According to the State of Michigan, 2,892 people died from overdoses last year. Many are from opioids like fentanyl and oxycodone. In response, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D) MI hopes to expand treatment for young people by reintroducing a nationwide program that expired on Sept. 30 of this year.
“This is a reauthorization of legislation that I wrote and got passed into law back in 2018. Helping adolescents have access to Medicated treatments that have been shown to be very effective in getting people to get over their addiction. Unfortunately, that law expires and that’s why this legislation is necessary to keep it going until 2028,” Peters said.
Peters says the bill would allocate money for opioid addiction medication and prevention programs.
“It continues to provide resources, $10 million per year to help folks afford this medication. It does expand programs to educate folks, particularly teens and other adolescents, to the dangers of Fentanyl and opioids,” Peters said.
Great Lakes Recovery Centers Children’s Service Director Derrick DePetro says it currently offers medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction to adults. He says expanding this to adolescents is important.
“Great Lakes Recovery Center does offer MAT services for the adults, and this will allow adolescents to be able to join our current MAT services and be able to wrap around them from both on an outpatient or residential level, but then be able to assist them on a medical level,” DePetro said.
DePetro says continued funding would especially help the U.P.
“With the rural nature, there’s usually a lack of services or providers that are able to assist with that. So being able to have this become a standard practice in the U.P. will just overall give better care for the clients,” DePetro said.
The bill still needs to pass the House and Senate before heading to President Biden’s desk.