Statement from Shatterproof Founder and CEO on The Biden-Harris Administration’s Statement of Drug Policy Priorities for Year One

April 1, 2021, Norwalk, CT — Gary Mendell, founder and CEO of Shatterproof, a national nonprofit dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in America, released the following statement regarding The Biden-Harris Administration’s Statement of Drug Policy Priorities for Year One. 

The priorities are: 

• Expanding access to evidence-based treatment; 
• Advancing racial equity issues in our approach to drug policy; 
• Enhancing evidence-based harm reduction efforts; 
• Supporting evidence-based prevention efforts to reduce youth substance use; 
• Reducing the supply of illicit substances; 
• Advancing recovery-ready workplaces and expanding the addiction workforce; and 
• Expanding access to recovery support services.

“It is imperative, now more than ever due to the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on those struggling with substance use disorder, that The Biden-Harris Administration implement a strong plan to address this epidemic. We are greatly encouraged that the Administration has identified the addiction epidemic as an urgent priority.  

Notably, the statement highlights the importance of removing barriers to prescribe buprenorphine and recognizes that stigma is another barrier to treatment.  These are critical policy opportunities that must be fulfilled.  Further, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) identifies educating the addiction workforce, youth prevention, and harm reduction as vital strategies to reversing the epidemic.  We are committed to working with the Administration on these policies to reverse the addiction crisis.

Shatterproof’s platform ATLAS is an existing tool that is now available to give individuals and their loved ones a way to find the right level of high-quality treatment. We are actively working to expand www.TreatmentATLAS.org in more states throughout the country. 

Additionally, our National Movement to End Addiction Stigma is the blueprint for how employers can breakdown stigma and encourage recovery-ready workplaces. Shatterproof’s Just Five is an existing and available online workplace education platform that is also available to support this priority. 

More than 20 million people in our country have a substance use disorder and the pandemic continues to drive those numbers even higher. It is critical we prioritize evidence-based solutions that will reverse the addiction crisis in America.  We commend the Administration’s statement for its emphasis on evidence-based solutions in its comprehensive plan and we look forward to providing guidance and solutions to these priorities.”
 

About Shatterproof:
Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States. Shatterproof harnesses the models of business, the rigor of science and the power of a national 
movement to create change and save lives through three pillars of work: revolutionizing the addiction treatment system, breaking down addiction-related stigmas and supporting and empowering our communities. To learn more visit www.Shatterproof.org