PRESS RELEASE: MAT Act PASSES!

12/23/2022

For Immediate Release

MAT Act PASSES!

WASHINGTON, D.C. – WV Citizen Action Group (WVCAG) is proud to end 2022 with a victory toward turning the tide of the overdose crisis. The passage of the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act means an increase in access to proven treatments for those with opioid use disorder. The MAT Act removes bureaucratic barriers that have blocked healthcare providers from prescribing buprenorphine, a lifesaving treatment for people facing opioid addiction and seeking treatment. This bill is especially important in a year where 108,000 people died of overdose across the country. 

“Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death in Americans under 50, and WV leads the nation in deaths due to drug injury per capita” said Eve Marcum-Atkinson, Communications Coordinator for WVCAG. “This bill will help save the lives of our friends, our neighbors, our family members, and so many others in our state who struggle with addiction.” 

WVCAG joined the fight for the MAT Act with People’s Action through the Overdose Crisis Cohort. Across the country, grassroots power organizations united to save the lives of our friends and communities. Through meetings with elected officials, community events, call-in days and public action, members of Congress across the political spectrum were convinced of the importance of this policy solution. 

We are grateful to Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY), Representative Michael Turner (R-OH), Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) as the lead sponsors of the MAT Act and Congressional Leadership for moving the MAT Act through the FY23 Omnibus spending package. We congratulate our elected representatives for passing this bipartisan solution with the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives. This victory proves the power of organizing people to improve their lives and their communities.  

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