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Sen. Peter's legislation would extend opioid treatment for adolescents

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Democratic U.S. Senator Gary Peters has introduced legislation to re-authorize funding for a grant program that expands access to opioid addiction treatment for adolescents.

The bipartisan Youth Prevention and Recovery Reauthorization Act builds on previous legislation Peters introduced that was signed into law in 2018. It would extend Medicaid funding and treatment for people ages 14 to 18 another five years.

"We have an absolute epidemic when it comes to opioid use and overdoses. In fact, over the last year over 100,000 people died in our country. And nearly 3,000 here in the State of Michigan," Peters said.

Peters said there are safe and effective treatments for opioid addiction.

"That's why this legislation was put forward, to expand the use of Medicaid opioid addiction treatments to adolescents age 14 to 18 who, unfortunately, are also becoming addicted to these toxic substances," he said.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), more than 695,000 American adolescents used opioids for nonmedical reasons in 2018, up by more than 400,000 since the last study was conducted in 2015. In December 2022, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that monthly drug overdose deaths nearly tripled among adolescents age 10 to 19 years during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Michigan, deaths from opioid overdoses have increased roughly 18 times from 1999 – 2021, when there were more than 2,800 overdose deaths.

According to a news release from Sen. Peters' office:

The Youth Prevention and Recovery Initiative provides funding to hospitals, local governments, and other eligible entities to increase access to opioid addiction medications for adolescents and young adults who have been diagnosed with opioid use disorder, improve local awareness among youth of the risks associated with fentanyl, and train healthcare providers, families, and school personnel on the best practices to support children and adolescents with opioid use disorder.

The use of certain medications – such as buprenorphine – has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for opioid addiction and improves success rates for continuing treatment and recovery. Medication assisted treatment (MAT) with buprenorphine and other effective drugs is an essential public health tool to prevent future loss of life for those suffering from opioid addiction. However, MAT is often designed for adults, making it more difficult for adolescents to access this proven treatment.

Peters’ Youth Prevention and Recovery Reauthorization Act would reauthorize the Youth Prevention and Recovery Initiative, which has provided three-year grants to youth-focused entities for carrying out substance use disorder treatment, prevention, and recovery support services. The legislation also expanded an existing youth substance use disorder program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to include services for young adults as well as children and adolescents. The authorization of the program, and the SUPPORT Act, expired on September 30, 2023.

The following organizations have endorsed Senator Peters’ Youth Prevention and Recovery Reauthorization Act: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychiatric Association, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Addition Psychiatry, and the Partnership to End Addiction.

Below are statements in support of Peters’ legislation.

“We applaud Senator Peters and Senator Capito for their commitment to expanding access to life saving substance use disorder treatment for youth and adolescents, particularly for racially and ethnically marginalized populations. Research supports treating patients, including youth, with opioid use disorders with FDA-approved medications as the gold standard and we believe this legislation is a critical first step towards improving access to services and better outcomes,” said Larissa Mooney, MD, President of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

“Despite the availability of safe, effective, and lifesaving treatment, adolescents and young adults with substance use disorders face significant barriers accessing medication for addiction treatment. By reauthorizing SAMHSA's Youth Prevention and Recovery Initiative, the bipartisan Youth Prevention and Recovery Reauthorization Act would make needed progress to help ensure young people can access this vital treatment, while also addressing the unique barriers they too often face in getting the care they need. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) calls on Congress to advance this important legislation and thanks Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) for their leadership on this issue,” said American Academy of Pediatrics President Sandy Chung, MD, FAAP.

“While it is incredibly difficult for anyone with addiction to access effective treatment, adolescents have exceedingly limited treatment options. In the midst of an unrelenting opioid crisis that is claiming the lives of far too many young people, it is critical for the federal government to provide resources to make evidence-based treatment, such as medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder, more widely available,” said Lindsey Vuolo, Vice President of Health Law and Policy, Partnership to End Addiction.

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