This resolution supports Overdose Awareness Day by urging comprehensive, stigma-reducing efforts across prevention, treatment, and recovery to combat the national opioid crisis.
Lori Trahan
Representative
MA-3
This resolution formally recognizes Overdose Awareness Day and underscores the severity of the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States. It commits Congress to advancing bipartisan policies aimed at reducing the stigma associated with substance use disorders. Ultimately, the bill supports a comprehensive, national strategy focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery to combat preventable overdose deaths.
Congress Commits to Bipartisan Action on Opioid Crisis, Pledging to Treat Addiction as a Chronic Disease
This Congressional Resolution is basically the House of Representatives formally raising its hand and saying, “We see you, Overdose Awareness Day, and we are serious about tackling the opioid crisis.” It’s a commitment to action, not a law that changes things tomorrow, but it sets the policy table by acknowledging the severity of the crisis—noting that provisional CDC data shows over 80,000 overdose deaths in 2024, with over 90% of opioid deaths involving illicit fentanyl.
The Shift: From Moral Failing to Chronic Disease
One of the most significant things this resolution does is push for a major cultural and policy shift: it stresses that Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a chronic disease, just like diabetes or heart disease. Why does this matter to you? Because treating addiction as a health issue rather than a moral failing is the fastest way to reduce stigma. Less stigma means more people are willing to seek help, and more resources go into treatment and prevention, not just punishment. This commitment is central to the resolution's goal of saving lives through awareness, prevention, and comprehensive treatment.
Where the Crisis Hits Hardest
The resolution is clear that SUD hits every demographic—rich, poor, urban, rural. But it doesn't shy away from the hard facts: Black people and American Indian or Alaskan Native populations are dying from overdoses at significantly higher rates than White people. This recognition is crucial because it means future policy actions, which the House commits to passing, will need to specifically address these disparities. For a policy to be effective, it has to acknowledge where the current system is failing the most vulnerable.
The Bipartisan Promise and the Catch
What the House is committing to is a comprehensive approach that covers prevention, intervention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support. They promise to work with states, local governments, businesses, and non-profits to build this full system. Crucially, the resolution explicitly states that Congress and the President need to keep working together to pass policies that both parties can agree on to "speed up and strengthen" the country’s ability to treat and prevent these disorders. While the bipartisan commitment is positive, the resolution is broad (Vagueness Level: Medium). Since it doesn't mandate specific funding or deadlines, the actual speed and strength of implementation depend entirely on whether Congress can translate this shared commitment into concrete legislative wins.