WASHINGTON – The White House is announcing a new program for heroin addiction, aimed to shift the focus from punishment to treatment of heroin addicts.
The Obama administration is calling it the Heroin Response Strategy, which will be implemented across five regional High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs in Appalachia, New England, Philadelphia/Camden, New York/New Jersey (which includes Chautauqua County), and Washington/Baltimore.
The $2.5 million program is way to help criminal intelligence officers and health officials work together to spot trends in heroin use and consumption, and train officers to administer anti-opioid drugs when dealing with someone who is overdosing, the White House said.
The White House said the administration plans to “expand community-based efforts to prevent drug use, pursue ‘smart on crime’ approaches to drug enforcement, increase access to treatment, work to reduce overdose deaths, and support the millions of Americans in recovery.”
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