Substance or Population-Specific Resources
Resources on policies that pertain to the use of and treatment for the use of specific substances, or within a specific population.
Methadone Tx for OUD
Definition of Addiction
Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences. Prevention efforts and treatment approaches for addiction are generally as successful as those for other chronic diseases.
Resources
PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM PEOPLE
ASAM's Public Policy Statement on Substance Use and Substance Use Disorder Among Pregnant and Postpartum People, published in 2022, indicates ASAM's strong support for reforms to reverse the punitive approach taken to substance use and SUD during and after pregnancy and respond to the shared interests of the parent-newborn dyad by providing ethical, equitable, and accessible, evidence-based care. It has nearly 40 public policy recommendations in the specific areas of:
- Prevention, screening, and toxicology testing,
- Federal and state policy changes and reimagining support,
- Hospital practices related to substance use,
- Approach to peripartum period,
- Treatment, harm reduction, and recovery supports,
- Medical education, and
- Pregnant and postpartum people who are incarcerated.
CANNABIS
The evolving legal landscape and public perception surrounding cannabis regulation in the United States is giving rise to increased availability and use of cannabis and cannabis products. It is ASAM’s viewpoint that it is imperative that Americans promote and adopt public policies that protect public health and safety as well as protect the integrity of our nation’s pharmaceutical approval process, which is grounded in well-designed and executed clinical research. Currently, the legalization of cannabis in some states but not others provides a unique opportunity for a thorough investigation into the societal and public health impact of broader cannabis use. Use the resources below to advocate for how a jurisdiction can best protect and promote public health as they consider the legal status of marijuana use.
Resources
National Overview of States' Adult Use Cannabis Programs and Public Health Guide
At present, almost half of U.S. states have approved adult use cannabis programs. Therefore, states' adoption of regulations that protect public health within such programs are a vital public policy concern. ASAM’s public policy statement on Cannabis includes a set of public health recommendations to guide states that decide to authorize adult use cannabis programs.
The new 'State Cannabis Public Health Policy Guide' reviews states' approved regulations for adult use cannabis, and informs advocates as to where their states are succeeding and failing in terms of alignment with ASAM's guiding recommendations. The guide provides accessible and comparative charts on state regulations for adult use cannabis programs to help advocates identify whether and where their state is in alignment with ASAM’s public health recommendations, and is an informational platform for advocates to push for changes in specific policy areas.
View the Guide here.
See ASAM’s State Advocacy Resources page here.
Public Policy Statement on Cannabis
In light of the evolving legal landscape surrounding cannabis in the United States, which is giving rise to increased availability and use of cannabis and cannabis products, it is imperative that Americans promote and adopt public policies that protect public health and safety as well as protect the integrity of our nation’s pharmaceutical approval process, which is grounded in well-designed and executed clinical research.
FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products Q&A
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a frequently asked questions and answers document in response to growing interest in the development of therapies and other consumer products derived from cannabis and its components, including cannabidiol (CBD).
ALCOHOL
Alcohol and other drug addiction is a major public health problem, accounting for significant morbidity and mortality across all segments of the population. ASAM advocates for a wide range of policies that relate to alcohol including increasing education, especially for minors and vulnerable populations, on the negative health effects of alcohol use and increasing access to treatment for alcohol use disorder.
TOBACCO
According to a 2014 Surgeon General Report, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the United States. More than 480,000 people die each year from smoking cigarettes, many of whom live with significant disability prior to death; it is reported that smoking cigarettes kills over time 50% of the people who use them.1
ASAM works closely with other organizations in coalitions to advance policies and regulations that protect public health and reduce the incidence of smoking, as well as other tobacco use, in the US.
Resources
1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014.