Drug And Opioid Addiction Conference Held In Talbot County
TALBOT COUNTY, Md– Monday in Talbot County officials from all over met today to discuss the ongoing fight with opioid addiction, an addiction that has swept through not only the nation, but the country as well.
Monday Local, state, and federal officials gathered to discuss the opioid crisis here on the eastern shore, and we are told this fight can’t be won alone and it will require everyone’s help.
“This is a crisis that we need to defeat and it will take funds, it’ll take funds of the state, federal and local levels,” Congressman Andy Harris said.
Congressman Harris says he feels like the opioid crisis has been forgotten about and that it needs to be brought back to the front of the line.
“We have to make sure that each and every community has the ability to deliver post treatment to people with addiction issues for the rest of their lives,” Harris said.
He says this issue is an all hands on deck situation, and he isn’t the only one who believes this.
Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis says everyone is hurting and that we need to realize we can’t fight this crisis on our own.
“There are families hurting, there are communities hurting and cities hurting. We need to recognize that we will never do this on our own. We need the collaborative effort of everyone to make a difference in our communities,” said Lewis
Sheriff Mike Lewis says his department is fighting an uphill battle with this crisis and that his deputies are doing all they can.
He also says he hopes to see more options for those suffering and that counseling plays a key role.
“I would like to see more resources dedicated, not just education, not just prevention but mental health wellness counseling. We have to have that, it’s a key component,” said Lewis.
Health Officials tell us if someone is seeking help then they need to be ready to respond as quick as possible.
Director of the National Drug Control Policy Office, Jim Carroll says not a lot of people look for help if they are fighting an addiction.
“Nationally we have about 20 million people who have an addiction and sadly only about 20% seek treatment and when they’re ready we need to make sure that we have treatment available,” said Carroll.
We’re told the real answer may be getting insurance companies to step up and help those suffering by recognizing opioid addiction as a disease.
“The insurance companies need to provide coverage for the disease of addiction. Federal law mandates that they provide coverage for other diseases, they provide the coverage for disease of addiction,” said Carroll.
Congressman Andy Harris tells us he is someone who believes communities need to have the resources to treat people for however long they need it, and he says this is a goal he won’t stop working towards.
