Senator Peters’ Bipartisan Provision to Expand Access to Opioid Addiction Treatment for Adolescents Advances in Senate

WASHINGTON, DC – A bipartisan provision led by U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) to expand access to opioid addiction treatment for adolescents has advanced in the Senate as part of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. The bipartisan SUPPORT for Patient Reauthorization Act would reauthorize federal funding for numerous opioid prevention, education, coverage, and treatment programs to help address the ongoing opioid epidemic that has devastated communities in Michigan and across the country. Peters’ provision in the SUPPORT Act – based off his Youth Prevention and Recovery Reauthorization Act – would reauthorize funding specifically for the Youth Prevention and Recovery Initiative. Peters established this initiative through legislation he authored into law in 2018 to make an existing substance abuse treatment program available for young adults. Peters’ provision would ensure this critical resource remains available to adolescents, families, care providers, and communities. The SUPPORT for Patients Reauthorization Act was approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

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.

“Opioid addiction has devastated far too many families and communities throughout our state and country. To address this epidemic, we must make sure people have access to the kind of treatment they need to get better, especially our young people who have their whole lives ahead of them,” said Senator Peters. “My provision in the SUPPORT for Patients Reauthorization Act would ensure adolescents can continue to access lifesaving treatments and resources to help set them on a path toward recovery, and I encourage my colleagues to support its passage into law.”

The Youth Prevention and Recovery Initiative allocates funding to hospitals, local governments, and eligible entities to enhance the availability of opioid addiction medications for adolescents and young adults diagnosed with opioid use disorder. The initiative aims to heighten awareness of fentanyl risks among youth, while also providing training to healthcare providers, families, and school personnel on optimal approaches to support young individuals dealing 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’ provision in the SUPPORT for Patients Reauthorization Act seeks to protect and renew the Youth Prevention and Recovery Initiative. This initiative, known for providing three-year grants to youth-focused entities, supports the implementation of substance use disorder treatment, prevention, and recovery support services. The legislation also extends the scope of an existing youth substance use disorder program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to encompass services for young adults, in addition to children and adolescents. Notably, the authorization for the program, along with the other federal programs included in the SUPPORT Act, expired on September 30, 2023.

The following organizations have endorsed Peters’ provision based on his 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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