Statement from Greg Marotta, CEO of CleanSlate Centers, Regarding the Opioid Commission’s Preliminary Report
Aug 1, 2017
In response to the President?s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis? request to declare a state of emergency on opioid addiction, Greg Marotta, CEO of CleanSlate Centers, one of the nation?s largest and fastest-growing addiction treatment companies, offers the following statement:
?We firmly support the commission urging the president to declare a public health emergency on opioid addiction. As firsthand witnesses to the challenge this fight presents, we applaud the productive and collaborative work they are doing.
With the number of Americans dying every day from opioid overdose approaching 150, the epidemic-status of this disease is no longer debatable. Its impact reaches every community in every state across our nation.
Expanded Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment
By calling for expanded access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT), the commission?s report strikes at the heart of how I believe this fight will be won.
Those of us providing treatment for opioid and alcohol addiction know that addiction patients benefit from medical treatment. At CleanSlate, our singular goal is to expand access to effective treatment across the country to save lives and help those suffering from addiction achieve the lives they want and deserve. What is now widely acknowledged ? the vital role medicine-based treatment plays in effectively treating opioid and alcohol addiction ? has been part of the CleanSlate way since we began in 2009. Having provided treatment for nearly 20,000 patients in communities across the nation, we are firmly committed to using the latest science and best practices, delivered by a team of licensed medical professionals.
A Collective Fight
Throughout the report, I was encouraged to see instruction for organizations to join together at the federal, state and local level in a collective front. The only way to fight the chronic brain disease of addiction is by working together. The communities that are most effectively addressing opioid addiction offer patients broad support through specialized programs and organizations that provide assistance throughout the journey to recovery ? from the first signs of the disease, to the early steps of seeking effective treatment, to ongoing support as they transition back to a better life.
This is a long and difficult road, but one that can be successfully navigated with sufficient planning, funding, collaboration and ? most importantly ? compassion.?
Media Contact
Ellis Metz
emetz@cleanslatecenters.com
(615) 254-0575
