WASHINGTON — Following is a statement from Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, CEO of the American Psychological Association, regarding bipartisan legislation passed by the Senate aimed at addressing the opioid epidemic:
“The American Psychological Association commends members of Congress for working together to develop and pass wide-ranging legislation to strengthen our response to the deadly opioid epidemic. We urge President Trump to sign the legislation into law as soon as possible.
“While this legislation is a step in the right direction, greater investments are needed to respond to a crisis of this magnitude. Tragically, we are still in the middle of the crisis, and it’s getting worse, not better. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 72,000 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2017, which is an almost 10 percent increase over the previous year.”
The bill passed the House on Sept. 28 and now heads to the president’s desk for his signature.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes nearly 115,700 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.