Senate Passes Broad Bill to Combat Drug Abuse

(The New York Times, March 10) The US Senate passed a drug treatment and prevention bill last week in response to alarming statistics showing drug overdoses outpacing car crash deaths. It's the biggest law of its kind since 2008, when insurance coverage for addiction treatment was mandated. The bill authorizes funding for treatment and prevention programs to addicts of all kinds, including those in jail. It also enhanced drug monitoring programs and expands the availability of overdose-reversal drugs such as naloxone. It also adds more prescription drug disposal sites to avoid putting them in the hands of teenagers. READ MORE.