Los Angeles, California - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and 37 other state attorneys general today sent a letter to Congress in support of proposed legislation, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015 (S.524/H.R.953), to increase prevention and treatment of heroin and opioid abuse. 

“Drug addiction hurts individual lives, families and communities, posing serious risks to public safety and public health,” said Attorney General Kamala D. Harris.  “Being smart on crime requires a comprehensive response to addiction, including data-driven prevention, education and drug treatment programs.”

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act will create new evidence-based treatment and intervention programs, increase resources available to first responders and law enforcement to reverse overdoses and save lives, and create more disposal sites for unwanted prescription medications.

The proposed federal legislation would also strengthen prescription drug monitoring programs to help states monitor and track prescription drug diversion and to help at-risk individuals access services.  The California Department of Justice recently launched a 2.0 version of California’s prescription drug database, Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES), which features a variety of performance improvements and added functionality.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury-related death for Americans aged 25 to 64.