A Crisis Hits Home

In 2014, nearly 1.9 million Americans misused prescription pain relievers, and every day, more than 1,000 people are treated in emergency departments for misusing prescription drugs. Recent data show that 4.3 million Americans engaged in nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers last month alone.

During the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit on March 29, the President stressed the severity of the prescription opioid and heroin use problem, and has escalated the fight against the crisis on three different fronts: expanding access to treatment, preventing overdose deaths, and increasing community prevention strategies.

As the federal agency tasked with reducing the impact of substance use in America's communities, SAMHSA is working to reverse this crisis through a variety of tactics, including:

Increased funding to state medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services
Funding for states to purchase and distribute the opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone, and to train first responders and others on its use along with other overdose prevention strategies
Resources to provide health care professionals and the public with the latest information and guidance for prevention and treatment.

Introducing the MAT Spotlight Series

SAMHSA is pleased to introduce the first installment of its latest eblast series: "Spotlight on MAT." This new series is dedicated to bringing the latest research, information, and resources on opioid use, opioid overdose prevention, and MAT right to your email box twice a month.

Subscribe To Continue Receiving "Spotlight on MAT"

Check out a few of SAMHSA's essential resources on opioid overdose prevention and MAT:

For more information, visit SAMHSA's MAT webpage.