Dr. Rahul Gupta, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) director, traveled to Indiana Sept. 14-15 to meet with students, public health and public safety officials, state and local leaders, and individuals in recovery for a series of Recovery Month events.
President Biden recently declared September as National Recovery Month – a time to celebrate the more than 20 million Americans that are in recovery from substance abuse disorder and for Americans to commit themselves to ensuring there are accessible services and support needed to rebuild lives of purpose and hope for those in recovery.
According to Gupta, the rise in overdoses has nothing to do with political affiliation and is a nationwide issue. During a previous visit to Indiana in August, he met with a bipartisan group of state legislators at the National Conference of State Legislatures Annual Legislative Summit in Indianapolis to address the opioid epidemic in their respective states.
“The overdose epidemic is not a red state or a blue state issue – it’s America’s issue, and President Biden has reaffirmed his commitment to beating this crisis and saving lives through his Unity Agenda,” said Gupta.
Gupta visited Purdue University to discuss ways to improve the nation’s recovery support services. During the visit, Gupta discussed the latest research and trends in substance use disorders as well as recovery efforts in Tippecanoe County. Gupta also met with the university’s president, Mung Chiang, to highlight the efforts being done by the administration to address the overdose epidemic.
During his August trip to Indiana, Gupta also met with Governor Eric Holcomb to address substance use issues in the state and ways to support prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services.
“I am grateful to the students, state and local elected officials, and community leaders I met with in Indiana who are working urgently to prevent overdoses, support recovery, and expand access to treatment for substance use disorder in the Hoosier state,” said Gupta “Together, we can build a recovery-ready nation that supports every person on their recovery journey.”
To read Biden’s full proclamation on National Recovery month, click here.
