On Monday June 19, ASPPH sponsored a Congressional Briefing titled, “The Opioid Epidemic: Findings from Public Health Research Experts.” The session was sponsored by Representatives Harold Rogers (KY), Tim Murphy (PA), Evan Jenkins (WV) and Bill Johnson (OH). Rep. Jenkins opened the session, expressing Congressional concern with the impact of the addiction crisis on constituents.
The Briefing was attended by almost 200 House and Senate staff members, along with various addiction research and treatment leaders and advocates.
Public health school leaders in five states in the Appalachian region participated in the briefing:
They discussed the complex and dynamic processes at work in the opioid crisis and shared their findings on unique approaches to address the course of the epidemic. The speakers also discussed how academic public health is assisting affected communities by bringing traditional and novel epidemic control strategies to the disease, including the development and evaluation of treatment options, law enforcement methods, prevention approaches, and state and local policies.
The session concluded with a robust Q&A session. Many of the participants also visited with their respective Congressional delegations and staffs both before and after the briefing to discuss local aspects of the opioid epidemic crisis.