End Substance Use Disorder Joins White House to Celebrate Passage of the MAT Act

Today, the White House hosted an event to celebrate the passage of the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act. Congress passed the policy with the end-of-year spending package. The MAT Act has been lauded as one of the most important reforms passed in decades to help stem the tide of the overdose crisis.

End Substance Use Disorder President, Erin Schanning, was honored to join the White House at the event and released the following statement:

“We thank the White House for recognizing the monumental achievement of passing the MAT Act. This bill will prevent overdoses, increase access to treatment, and reduce stigma,” said Erin Schanning, president of End Substance Use Disorder. “The MAT Act not only dramatically expands access to lifesaving treatment, it sends a clear message that people with substance use disorder deserve health care just like people with other chronic medical conditions. We were proud to lead and join with tens of thousands of advocates across the country to hold Congress accountable to passing this lifesaving bill. We look forward to the continued collaboration to stop overdoses, support healing, and end stigma.”

Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Anne Milgram, Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Dr. Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services led the event. They were joined by Sen. Maggie Hassan and Rep. Paul Tonko, who championed the efforts in Congress to pass the MAT Act.

The federal lawmakers and leaders recognized the powerful role of the MAT Act Coalition that End Substance Use Disorder organized and led in ensuring the bill’s passage.

“Together we built a strong bipartisan coalition supported by advocates across the nation including family members who lost loved ones, individuals who faced the disease of addiction, doctors, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, AGs, law enforcement, fire chiefs, emergency physicians, district attorneys, addiction specialists, faith leaders and healthcare, addiction, harm reduction, mental health and justice advocates of every stripe.

Working hand in hand, we told every member of Congress how federal law made it easier to prescribe potentially addictive opioids than to treat someone with opioid use disorder. And for some, we told them over and over and over again. And slowly but surely, we won over hearts and minds and built strong and deep support.

I am forever grateful for everyone who helped get this lifesaving bill signed into law.” - Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY)

The full event can be viewed here.

Read more about the MAT Act here and End Substance Use Disorder’s leadership on the bill here.