[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9499 of September 16, 2016

Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Each year, more Americans die from drug overdoses than in traffic
accidents, and more than three out of five of these deaths involve an
opioid. Since 1999, the number of overdose deaths involving opioids,
including prescription opioid pain relievers, heroin, and fentanyl, has
nearly quadrupled. Many people who die from an overdose struggle with an
opioid use disorder or other substance use disorder, and unfortunately
misconceptions surrounding these disorders have contributed to harmful
stigmas that prevent individuals from seeking evidence-based treatment.
During Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week, we pause
to remember all those we have lost to opioid use disorder, we stand with
the courageous individuals in re

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covery, and we recognize the importance of raising awareness of this
epidemic.
Opioid use disorder, or addiction to prescription opioids or heroin, is
a disease that touches too many of our communities--big and small, urban
and rural--and devastates families, all while straining the capacity of
law enforcement and the health care system. States and localities across
our country, in collaboration with Federal and national partners, are
working together to address this issue through innovative partnerships
between public safety and public health professionals. The Federal
Government is bolstering efforts to expand treatment and opioid abuse
prevention activities, and we are working alongside law enforcement to
help get more people into treatment instead of jail.
My Administration is steadfast in its commitment to reduce overdose
deaths and get more Americans the help they need. That is why I continue
to call on the Congress to provide $1.1 billion to expand access to
treatment services for opioid use disorder. These new investments would
build on the steps we have already taken to expand overdose prevention
strategies, and increase access to naloxone--the overdose reversal drug
that first responders and community members are using to save lives. We
are also working to improve opioid prescribing practices and support
targeted enforcement activities. Although Federal agencies will continue
using all available tools to address opioid use disorder and overdose,
the Congress must act quickly to help more individuals get the treatment
they need--because the longer we go without congressional action on this
funding, the more opportunities we miss to save lives.
Too often, we expect people struggling with substance use disorders to
self-diagnose and seek treatment. And although we have made great
strides in helping more Americans access care, far too many still lack
appropriate, evidence-based treatment. This week, we reaffirm our
commitment to raising awareness about this disease and supporting
prevention and treatment programs. Let us ensure everyone with an opioid
use disorder can embark on the road to recovery, and together, let us
begin to turn the tide of this epidemic.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 18 through
September 24, 2016, as Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness
Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week with appropriate
programs, ceremonies, and activities that raise awareness about the
prescription opioid and heroin epidemic.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
first.
BARACK OBAMA