Paul Tonko: “I thank Representative Pallone for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the TEACH to Combat Addiction Act, which…”

“I thank Representative Pallone for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the TEACH to Combat Addiction Act, which I joined with my friend from Ohio, Representative Bill Johnson, in introducing. One of the biggest challenges that is facing us in the midst of this opioid epidemic is the lack of high-quality addiction treatment in many parts of our country. Only one in five individuals with opioid use disorder is able to access any type of treatment. In many instances, individuals struggling with addiction can be placed on waiting lists for months or years before they are able to see an addiction professional. That is simply not right. When we place barriers and roadblocks between patients and their care, we know that these delays can be deadly. We need to move toward a system of treatment on demand so that, when an individual is crying out for assistance, when that person has that moment of clarity, there is a helping hand ready to meet them. This legislation helps us in a way that moves us in that direction by investing in our addiction infrastructure. The TEACH to Combat Addiction Act would create centers of excellence in substance use disorder education that would be charged with developing and disseminating model curricula to train our next generation of medical professionals on the practice of addiction.…”