Combating the Opioid Crisis

Sherrod knows that there’s no one solution to the opioid addiction epidemic. That’s why he is proposing a comprehensive public health campaign to combat the crisis. Sherrod is calling on the federal government to launch a long-term campaign that includes widespread education and prevention efforts, expanding access to affordable addiction treatment, and recovery that includes better screening and protections against relapse.

Sherrod and Senator Portman are united in working to prevent opioids from getting into Ohio. Together, they pushed Sherrod’s INTERDICT Act through Congress and signed into law by President Trump, giving law enforcement the tools to intercept opioids and synthetics before they enter our country. Sherrod and Portman are now working on new legislation, the POWER Act, to give local law enforcement officers access to the same fentanyl detection equipment to help them keep these drugs out of Ohio communities. Sherrod has fought to lower the amount of prescription drugs that manufacturers and distributors pump into our healthcare system, and to make their these processes more open and transparent. He has advocated for programs that let people safely dispose of expired or unused prescription drugs to ensure they don’t end up in the hands of someone who could misuse or abuse them.

Any long-term solution to ending the opioid crisis must include providing people suffering from addiction and mental health issues with the tools to get their lives back on track. Sherrod supported Governor Kasich’s decision to expand Medicaid, which funds treatment for more than 150,000 Ohioans, and worked with Portman on legislation to grant more Ohioans access to healthcare professionals and facilities. Sherrod knows that for infants and newborns affected by prenatal opioid addiction, treatment is especially critical, which is why he and Senator Portman have fought for measures to give affected newborns the best care available.

Sherrod is working hard to make sure Ohio’s communities have the funding necessary to adequately address the opioid crisis. He supports a number of proposals, including the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the 21st Century Cures Act, that would give local communities the aid they need to effectively fight this epidemic. Sherrod was also a vocal opponent of the administration’s 2018 budget proposal, which called for slashing hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to programs Ohio counts on to combat opioid addiction. And when the White House dragged its feet in declaring the crisis a national emergency, Sherrod held the Administration accountable for their inaction — and applauded them when they finally heeded his call. Senator Brown Is Working To Engage Communities In Awareness And Prevention Sherrod believes that community engagement is crucial to this fight. By holding roundtable discussions with Ohio law enforcement, healthcare professionals, and those affected by the opioid crisis, Sherrod works with community leaders to help raise local awareness and understanding of the epidemic. He has also championed successful legislation that provides opioid prescribers with the training to identify warning signs before addiction occurs.

• Ohio Fraternal Order of Police