Advocating for

Substance Use Prevention

Policy solutions are needed to respond to the opioid and substance use crisis. Information, data points, policies, and resources on this page were curated to help advocates learn and take action on policy to prevent substance use.

Substance use affects individuals, their families, and extended communities.

Overdose deaths are on the rise.

Substance use costs the U.S. economy an estimated $740 billion annually.

Alcohol use is the third leading cause of preventable death.

Marginalized communities face the greatest barriers to accessing care and burdens of disease.

Learn more about Substance Use 

Data to Power Your Advocacy

POLICY AIMS

We can transform our policies, systems, and environments to provide the vital community conditions that all people need to be free from substance misuse. Below are policy aims and example policies and programs to address substance misuse.

 

Prevention Policies

Implementing proactive measures to prevent substance misuse through education and regulation.

Expand Access to Treatment

Increasing the availability of evidence-based treatment options for individuals with substance use disorders.

Harm Reduction Strategies

Reducing the negative consequences associated with substance misuse through targeted interventions.

Diversion Programs, Substance Use Prevention, and Mass Liberation

Policies that expand diversion programs provide a systems-level solution to multiple pressing challenges of our time, including mass incarceration and the substance use crisis. Diversion programs minimize people’s involvement with the justice system by providing alternatives to arrest, prosecution, and incarceration. For people with mental health and substance use conditions, diversion programs offer treatment and recovery services as an alternative to jail time or other penalties. The benefits of these programs are multiple: 1) more appropriate care with better outcomes for people with mental health and substance use conditions; 2) long-term community safety and lower recidivism; and 3) reduced criminal justice system and health care costs.

    ADVANCING FEDERAL POLICIES

    Executive Order on Ensuring Access to High-Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

    Executive Order on Ensuring Access to High-Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder, 2019, directed federal agencies to improve access to high-quality care for opioid use disorder. The key components are:

    • Medicare and Medicaid Improvements: Ensured beneficiaries have access to a full range of treatment options.

    • Integration of Services: Encouraged the integration of substance use disorder treatment into primary care settings.

    Medicaid Coverage for Substance Use Disorder Treatment

    Medicaid Coverage for Substance Use Disorder Treatment (2020), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance to states to expand Medicaid coverage for substance use disorder treatment. Key elements include:

    • Waivers for IMD Exclusion: Allowed states to apply for waivers to cover inpatient treatment in institutions for mental diseases (IMDs), which were previously excluded from Medicaid coverage.

    • Integrated Care Models: Promoted the use of integrated care models that combine primary care, mental health, and substance use disorder treatment.

    Browse on PHERN

    Treatment Alternatives to Prison

    WISDOM, in collaboration with Human Impact Partners, conducted an HIA to project the potential health impacts of scaling up Treatment Alternative Diversion (TAD...

    Policies and information contained in this module are based on the Public Health Policy Information Sheet which was prepared by WE Public Health, LLC for the American Public Health Association and Public Health AmeriCorps.

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