BRINDISI HONORED BY VOICES FOR NON-OPIOID CHOICES FOR BIPARTISAN WORK TO CURB OPIOID EPIDEMIC

Statement

Voices for Non-Opioid Choices, a non-partisan organization dedicated to preventing opioid addiction, awarded Congressman Anthony Brindisi their annual Voice for Non-Opioid Choices Award for his bipartisan work to stop the opioid epidemic.

Brindisi, an advocate for Upstate families affected by opioid addiction, introduced the bipartisan Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act. Brindisi's legislation would help tackle barriers to non-opioid pain management for people enrolled in Medicare. This legislation will help address the opioid epidemic that has affected Upstate New York and communities across the country.

Research shows that patients receiving an opioid prescription after short-stay surgeries have a 44% increased risk of opioid use. One 2018 study showed that 12 percent of patients who had a soft tissue or orthopedic operation in the year prior reported that they had become addicted or dependent on opioids.

"Too many Upstate families have felt the heartache and suffering caused by opioid abuse, and we must do everything we can to help the victims of opioid addiction and their families," Brindisi said. "Thank you to Voices for Non-Opioid Choices for recognizing our work to help those who are struggling and provide opioid alternatives to those who need them. I'm grateful for our partnership and committed to working with both parties to find real solutions. Together, we can support patients and their families as we continue the fight against opioid abuse."

"On behalf of Voices for Non-Opioid Choices, I am honored to present Representative Brindisi with our annual House of Representatives award for his leadership in combating the opioid epidemic, and in promoting the NOPAIN Act," said Chris Fox, Executive Director, Voices for Non-Opioid Choices. "With drug overdose deaths on the rise over the past two years, we need to do everything we can to prevent opioid addiction in the United States. The NOPAIN Act is a needed piece of federal legislation that will promote the utilization of non-opioid pain management approaches and, in the process, rid our communities of unused, unnecessary opioid pills. We look forward to continue working with Representative Brindisi and his colleagues to enact this legislation."

In 2019, Brindisi and Republican Congressman Ted Budd (NC-13) introduced a bipartisan resolution officially recognizing addiction as a treatable disease. Brindisi, an advocate for mental health care and ardent fighter of the opioid crisis, is working to destigmatize addiction treatment, increase science-based approaches, and make sure communities have the education tools necessary to help addicts and their families.

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