Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to Discuss Opioid Epidemic at National League of Cities’ Congressional City Conference

WASHINGTON, Mar. 8, 2016 – TODAY, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will deliver remarks on opioid abuse at the National League of Cities’ Congressional City Conference in Washington, D.C.

Prescription drug and heroin abuse have taken a heartbreaking toll on too many American families, while straining public resources. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows opioids were involved in 28,648 deaths in 2014, which means more Americans are dying from drug overdoses than in motor vehicle accidents each year.

Addressing the opioid epidemic is a priority for this Administration and in January, President Obama appointed Secretary Vilsack to lead an interagency task force focused on this specific challenge. Recent efforts have helped identify effective tools to reduce drug use and overdose, including evidence-based prevention programs, prescription drug monitoring, medication-assisted treatment and the overdose reversal drug naloxone. In order to continue this progress, the President’s FY17 budget includes new mandatory funding to expand access to treatment and help individuals with an opioid use disorder seek and complete treatment, and sustain recovery