Over 200 lawmakers, experts, and advocates
met on Capitol Hill April 29, 2015 for a panel discussion on advancing treatment, prevention, and recovery for youth struggling with substance abuse. The event, the fourth in a series of Congressional Forums on addiction, featured experts and leaders on substance abuse from around the country and included keynote remarks from a bipartisan group of four Senators and three members of the House of Representatives.
Speakers highlighted the tremendous cost of substance abuse, which now claims more lives annually than car accidents. But speakers also talked of the changing attitude toward treatment and recovery and the growing commitment to do better. Lawmakers highlighted the critical importance of passing the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which promises to significantly strengthen treatment, recovery, and prevention services.