Congressman Mike Turner released the following statement after joining the bipartisan Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus:
“Addiction continues to take a toll on our community, state, and country. I have joined this caucus to educate and raise awareness among my colleagues in Congress about addiction prevention and substance abuse.”
Last Congress, Congressman Turner introduced two bills aimed at treatment of addiction. The TREAT Act, introduced in November 2015, aimed to increase flexibility in how existing federal funding can be used to combat the heroin epidemic. The CRIB Act, introduced in May 2016, aimed to cover the treatment costs of neonatal abstinence syndrome, a withdrawal condition in newborns often caused by opioids and other addictive substances in pregnant women.
The Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus is chaired by Congressmen Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-5), Tim Ryan (OH-13), Dave Joyce (OH-14), and Paul Tonko (NY-20). Congressman Turner brought Congressman Sensenbrenner to Dayton to host a Heroin Epidemic Response Roundtable in August.
Congressman Turner has been fighting the opioid epidemic in Dayton since 2013:
- December 18, 2013: Toured Soin Medical Center, where issue of Heroin-Exposed Newborns was raised.
- March 10, 2014: Met with area hospitals to discuss the growing issue of Heroin-Exposed Newborns.
- May 15, 2014: Visited Dayton Children’s Hospital NICU to discuss infant heroin exposure and the withdrawal and recovery process.
- June 30, 2014: Held a Community Forum on the Effects of the Heroin Epidemic on Newborns.
- August 27, 2014: Visited the Women’s Recovery Center.
- May 2015: Held Community Summit on Heroin-Exposed Infants.
- August 21, 2015: Toured Greene County Jail and Green Leaf Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program; met with criminal justice system administrators and substance abuse and mental health leadership.
- November 18, 2015: Met with ONDCP Director Michael Botticelli and introduced the TREAT Act with Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) and Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (MA-3).
- May 12, 2016: The House passed an amendment he cosponsored to increase access to treatment for pregnant women struggling with substance abuse.
- May 25, 2016: Introduced CRIB Act to help expand access to specialized treatment and recovery options for infants suffering from neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a withdrawal condition in newborns often caused by use of opioids and other addictive substances in pregnant women.
- August 29, 2016: Hosted a Heroin Epidemic Response Roundtable with Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-05).
- October 28, 2016: Hosted a roundtable discussion on the opioid and heroin epidemic in Dayton with Senator Rob Portman (OH).
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