The opioid crisis that claims more than 50,000 American lives a year “is a scourge that knows no bounds” and will require more spending and more oversight of how drugs are prescribed and sold, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said Thursday.
But after touring a drug treatment facility in Chattanooga, Price, who is a physician, said money alone won’t solve the epidemic and prosecutors won’t be able to solve the opioid crisis simply by locking up every offender. During Thursday’s visit with state and local health officials and those getting drug treatment, Price said a multifaceted approach is needed by the private, faith and government communities at all levels to reverse the rising number of opioid deaths in America.
“With the president’s incredible support and commitment to solving this challenge, we have made the opioid crisis one of our top three medical priorities in our department,” Price said.
In 2015, the most recent year for which figures are available, more than 52,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses or related problems in the United States, including nearly 1,500 in Tennessee, which has the fifth highest rate of opioid use and abuse, Price said.
Gov. Bill Haslam said drug addiction is a barrier to economic growth, educational attainment and the overall health of Tennessee. The annual cost of the epidemic is estimated to be $78.5 billion, and every day, an average of 78 Americans die from opioid abuse.