When asked in by Ronald Haley, member of the 2020 Bipartisan Justice Center whether she would commit to freeing individuals who are incarcerated due to drug charges, Gabbard responded, “Yes… we have to completely change the way that we are viewing this challenge where people are being and have been incarcerated purely for drug use violations while many others are going scot free. Being incarcerated because they are victims of this failed war on drugs that’s been waged now for decades that really has not solved any of the problems that they said it would solve, but really has just proven to be so costly for the people who have been caught up in that net. Drug abuse, substance abuse, and addiction requires health care and health treatment. Often there are other issues that surround drug use and addiction – issues related to mental health or other things where people are self-medicating rather than actually being able to get the help that they need. This issue, like so many others, if we actually get to the root cause of the problems that’s causing this action or reaction to occur, and provide that service, provide that help, then we can prevent so much of the pain and the suffering that occurs as a result.”

“This is about recovery. This is about addiction. We need to address that reality and help resolve some of the root causes of why people are turning to different substances in the first place… Our failed war on drugs has turned everyday Americans who are struggling with substance abuse and addiction and turned them into criminals.”

While discussing opioids, Gabbard said, “We’ve got to look at treatment, and actually providing resources towards recovery and making it so that we are not treating addiction as a crime but rather as something that, we need to be able to provide people with help in putting their lives back together and walking that path forward.”

Beto wants to “Ensure access to treatment to enable long-term recovery, providing access to medication-based recovery and supporting at risk populations, including rural Americans, veterans, Native Americans, and incarcerated individuals.”

Beto “will enact Medicare for America, which will ensure universal, guaranteed, high-quality health care that includes mental health care. This will eliminate barriers to medication-assisted recovery, including coverage by insurance of FDA-approved maintenance medications, also referred to as medication-assisted recovery, including buprenorphine, methadone and Suboxone. He would also allow clinicians to prescribe buprenorphine without having to undergo an invasive process. Clinicians are currently required to undergo training, receive an additional license, and submit patient records to the DEA.”

“Improve the quality and reduce the cost of treatment by tackling abusive practices of the substance use disorder treatment industry. There is currently no entity within the federal government regulating facilities that oversee treatment for substance use disorder, and much of the U.S. substance use disorder treatment industry does not provide evidence-based, effective care consistent with long-term recovery. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has over 4,000 quality measures, but there are zero for substance use and opioid use disorder programs.”

“Let’s be honest – the opiate addiction crisis exists in large part because our government thought it was okay for companies to make a lot of money prescribing addictive opiates to millions of people. This was a failure of government. And now the Federal Government must do all it can to address this crisis, including funding treatment for millions of Americans. There is a modern-day plague in America and we cannot rest until it is controlled and defeated. Americans are dying every day—7 every hour—destroying families and communities everywhere. I will declare a state of emergency and commit billions of dollars to the fight, much of it from the drug companies who generated and have profited from this plague. If you or someone in your family has an opiate problem, we will provide you the resources you need to help you recover. We owe you that.”

“Resources would be used to support the whole continuum of care, from early intervention for those at risk for addiction, to harm reduction for those struggling with addiction, to long-term support services for those in recovery. Along with addiction treatment, the CARE Act would ensure access to mental health services and help provide critical wraparound services like housing support and medical transportation for those who need them.”
My comprehensive plan to end the opioid crisis
Medium, May 8, 2019 | Elizabeth Warren

“In talking to congressional staffers over the past few years, I’ve repeatedly heard that Republicans are very resistant to spending much more money on the opioid crisis — and at least some GOP support would be needed to pass a bill.”
How the Democratic presidential candidates would combat the opioid epidemic
Vox, September 10, 2019 | Geman Lopez

Solving the opioid epidemic is not a simple thing. We must make sure people have access to treatment, so they can get help where and when they need it. We must invest in what people need for a successful long-term recovery, like counseling and peer support, employment, and housing. And it means taking a hard look at the issues in our society that are causing so many people to turn to drugs in the first place, so that we can prevent others from becoming addicted.”

“I want other people to be pursued by grace. I want them to have the ability to get through this [addiction], and sometimes you can’t get through it the first time, and that includes people who are addicted to very difficult substances to get through – opioids, heroin now, that is out there more and more than we ever could have imagined, what we’re seeing with meth. Those are drugs that people are affected by in every community in this country.”
Klobuchar releases plan to treat substance abuse, mental illness
NBC News, May 3, 2019 | Ali Vitali and Kailani Koenig

“I think every American should have that right to be pursued by grace. That means enough beds in this country for people with mental health problems if they’re facing a crisis. That means doing something about our mounting suicide rate – for farmers, for veterans, for LGBTQ youth – and that means instead of just talking about this, actually putting the money into treatment. I have a proposal that’s paid for by yes, two cents per milligram fee on these opioid pharma companies that have made tons of money off the backs of people who got addicted, and you can use that money for not just opioids, you can also use it for these other drugs, as well as mental health. It means making sure on the road to recovery, you’ve got a job and you’ve got a place to live, and there are so many people in this country that are crying out for help.”
Klobuchar on new plan to address addiction, mental health
CNN, July 30, 2019 | Jake Tapper

“Well, the first thing I did would probably be our bigger bulk of cases was in drug court. We had very successful and have a very successful drug court, and that really is that second chance idea. That’s the idea that, yes, you could be facing jail time or prison time but its hung over your head, so you have a community, and you have treatment that helps you get through it, because we don’t like to see repeat customers in the criminal justice system. We like them to go out of the criminal justice system.”

Klobuchar releases plan to treat substance abuse, mental illness
NBC News, May 3, 2019 | Ali Vitali and Kailani Koenig

“In 2017, the administration declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, but the fund they used to deal with it had only — I kid you not — $57,000 in it. That represents less than one dollar for each person who died of a drug overdose that year. It’s unconscionable… We need to make sure that people who are addicted have access to medication-assisted-treatment (MAT) — drugs like buprenorphine which prevents withdrawal symptoms and cravings without producing the kind of high that heroin or OxyContin does. Many insurance companies will cover the cost of opioids while charging more than $200 a month for buprenorphine. That has to change. We have to change it.”
(The Truths We Hold, by Kamala Harris, pp. 206-207, Jan 8 2019)

The Opioid Crisis Requires Emergency Mobilization
The Truths We Hold pp. 206-207, January 8, 2019 | Kamala Harris

“Washington needs to be a partner for states like New Hampshire who has had quite a problem with the opioid crisis. And if I’m president I’ll be a strong partner.”

Castro visits recovery center in Laconia after launching presidential campaign
WMUR-TV, January 16, 2019 | Adam Sexton

At a conversation at the Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition drop-in center in Cedar Rapids, IHRC Executive Director asked if Castro would support removing the “X” waiver for buprenorphine and methadone prescribing. Castro responded, “Well and I agree with you. I think underlying that question is that we can do this in a way where we maintain safety for patients and integrity in the system and accountability right for those who are prescribing. So yes, I believe that we can do that without the cumbersome process that we have in place right now that requires this waiver, because you make a point, there are other prescriptions that are written now that don’t require anything like that, so I would support moving in that direction.” Ziegenhorn followed up by asking pointedly, “Would you commit to getting rid of the X waiver?” As the room and the Secretary laughed, he replied, “I am open to that. Let me research it a little bit more. Today was the first day that I heard about that, yes. I have generally avoided in this campaign, committing on the spot to things I have not fully read about, but I will take a look at it.” Ziegenhorn laughed as well, commenting, “That’s very reasonable.”

“For years, politicians in Washington have claimed to prioritize mental health care while slashing funding for treatment and ignoring America’s growing addiction and mental health crisis. That neglect must end. Our plan breaks down the barriers around mental health and builds up a sense of belonging that will help millions of suffering Americans heal.”
Democrat Buttigieg wants to save million lives through plan fighting mental health, addiction
Reuters, August 23, 2019 | Tim Reid

“We absolutely have to treat this issue as, at its core, a crisis of public health. The thinking behind the harsh sentencing laws of the 1980s and 90’s was sorely misguided, leading to a policy that was not only ineffective in reducing crime, but also disproportionately targeted at low-level, nonviolent drug offenders. These are the very individuals who would serve to benefit the most from a federal criminal justice policy that emphasizes treatment over punishment, providing resources to identify and treat incarcerated Americans suffering from drug addiction. By provisioning more resources for treatment, we can address the problem of recidivism – each year, around 600,000 Americans finish their prison sentences and re-enter their communities; but two out of every three are rearrested within three years of their release.”
Lessons from New Jersey: How U.S. Senator Cory Booker is Addressing Addiction
Center on Addiction, November 15, 2016 | Nkem Osian