9/11 makes the case for a Department of Treatment and Recovery

Although it is often not possible to pinpoint a single event that changed the course of history, 9/11 Certainly one. On that fateful day in September 2001, a group of 16 terrorists delivered an unexpected blow to the political and economic heart of the United States. nearly 3,000 people Many more people died in the attack, and many more were later exposed to a deadly toxin that caused debilitating terminal illnesses.

The events of 9/11 shook the American consciousness like never before since the attack on Pearl Harbor, prompting a paradigm shift in how Americans view safety and security.

This change manifested itself in a variety of ways, including the first major reorganization of the federal government in half a century. In 2002, Congress homeland security law The 90-9 vote consolidated 22 federal agencies under the newly created Department of Homeland Security. While some have criticized this decision, it’s hard to argue with its success. Since 2001, one case A jihadist foreign terrorist organization that directs or coordinates deadly attacks in the United States.

It’s time to bring the same sense of urgency to the drug crisis.

Just as 9/11 ushered in a new era of terror, the explosion of illegally manufactured synthetic opioids such as fentanyl has fundamentally changed the nature of the drug trade.

Today’s drugs are more powerful, cheaper, and easier to manufacture than ever before. They are also incredibly deadly. Drug overdose is now main cause of death That rate is decreasing among Americans ages 18 to 45, contributing to the largest decline in U.S. life expectancy in more than 100 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control.In the past 12 months, he has helped more than 111,000 Americans died Victims of drug overdoses (equivalent to a death or injury every nine days on 9/11), and many more, remain caught in the web of drug abuse and addiction.

This loss of life is staggering, but what is truly farcical is how many of these deaths could be prevented if Americans had more access to treatment. In 2021, only 1 in 5 Americans will suffer from opioid use disorder received Despite the fact that medically assisted treatments such as buprenorphine and methadone are widely recognized as the “gold standard” for addiction treatment, evidence Taking these drugs can reduce your risk of a fatal overdose by 80%. Considering it in perspective, the best Cholesterol-lowering drugs are 30-50% effective.

America needs more substance abuse treatment. A lot more. But how?

1 key lesson After 9/11, there was a need for greater information sharing, cooperation, and “unity of effort” across the U.S. government. This will be accomplished in part by consolidating multiple government agencies into DHS, which could serve as a useful precedent in confronting the drug crisis. As currently structured, many government agencies involved in drug treatment span multiple departments, such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. By combining them into a single, unified agency with deep funding and broad authority, we could close the treatment gap and put millions of Americans on the path to recovery.

Please try to imagine. The new DHS for drug treatment and recovery is now fully capable of:

• Provide universal treatment free of charge to all who need it
• Expand treatment for traditionally underserved and vulnerable populations, including ethnic minorities, incarcerated people, veterans, rural populations, and the uninsured.
• Connecting care systems at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels
• Apply nationally uniform evidence-based standards to all federally funded treatment programs
• Ensure accountability and transparency for opioid litigation settlements and maximize their impact
• Train and hire a new cadre of social workers, substance abuse counselors, doctors, and nurses to grow the nation’s treatment ecosystem.
• Eliminate outdated barriers to care, such as methadone prescriptions and telemedicine restrictions
• Improving data collection and reporting for treatment services

The drug crisis is a complex problem, and policymakers should be wary of “just do this” solutions. But it’s clear that the existing model isn’t working, and in the meantime, literally thousands of Americans want change. Expanding access to drug treatment is a moral imperative, and today’s leaders, like those of the past, must have the courage to take action when necessary.

Almost 20 years ago, when the events of 9/11 were still etched in the national psyche, the authors of this book 9/11 Commission Report “Americans should not be content with gradual, ad hoc adjustments to a system created a generation ago for a world that no longer exists…Good people can overcome bad structures. We need to do so. There shouldn’t be.”

Their words still resonate in my heart.

Jim Crotty is an adjunct professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs and former deputy chief of staff for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration..