The tide is slowly turning. For decades drug users have been viewed in a terrible light. Some see them as good-for-nothings who leach from society without contributing anything of value to their communities. Re-thinking the issue, the horrific number of lives lost to substance abuse over the years and the substantial amount of government resources that have been wasted in trying to fight the “war on drugs,” has proven that substance abuse needs to be viewed in a different light if we are ever going to successfully overcome it.
“There have been more victims in this battle than should be called criminals. What we have been doing has not been working. There is a better way.” These are the words of seventh district Michigan Congressman Tim Walberg. Walberg recently saw one of the bi-partisan bills he co sponsored, entitled the Infant Plan of Safe Care Improvement Act, pass the United States House.
If this bill makes it all the way past the Senate and to the president’s desk to be signed into law, it will ensure that babies born with drug addictions are cared for and kept safe. The Act will also require that the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), which oversees Children’s Protective Services in Michigan, does a better job of ensuring that CPS is following state guidelines when responding to child abuse and neglect situations.
These laws protect the caregivers, law enforcement personnel and first responders
Along with the Infant Plan of Safe Care Improvement Act, the House also passed a number of other bills aimed at dealing with the country’s current opioid epidemic. For example, the Good Samaritan Assessment Act (H.R. 5048 ) will require that the Government Accountability Office submit a report reviewing state and local Good Samaritan laws. These laws protect the caregivers, law enforcement personnel and first responders who administer opioid overdose reversal drugs from being prosecuted as criminals.
Another bill in the package is the Jason Simcakoski PROMISE Act (H.R. 4063) which aims to promote responsible opioid use and improve the way that opioid therapy is administered to veterans being treated for pain. The Open Act (H.R. 5052) directs the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to evaluate the effectiveness of grant programs that provide assistance in addressing problems pertaining to opioid abuse,” according to the wording of the bill itself.
And finally, is the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016 (HR 5046), which passed by a vote of 413 to 5. This bill would authorize the United States Department of Justice to provide grants to state, local and tribal governments to provide services for combating opioid abuses.
Drug addictions and substance abuses are battles that we in Michigan a fighting, spending tens of millions of dollars on, and losing our battle. Our Michigan criminal defense attorneys are grateful for any new legislation that will help users and addicts stay away from abusing substances. Our team is on call 365 days a year for people arrested for crimes. We can be reached around the clock at 1 866-766-5245.