At this time of year, we all want our homes to be filled with warmth, comfort, and the people we love most. But this year, too many of us will have empty seats at the holiday table–because our country’s overdose crisis and the war on drugs touch every community and far, far too many families.
This year, overdoses killed 108,000 people, the worst year on record for deaths like these. Overdose deaths affect all of us — whether we are Black, brown, or white, and whether we live in a big city or a small town.
Help us stop these tragic deaths by telling Congress to pass the MAT Act before they break for the holidays at https://peoplesaction.org/move-the-mat-act-past-the-finish-line/.
In a recent op-ed, we talked about the people we think about when we read about the overdose crisis and what it means for families in every community in the country:
- Consider Jodi, who lives in rural New Hampshire. This is Jodi’s 13th holiday season without Kory, who died from an overdose on Christmas Eve.
- Also consider Shantae in Brooklyn who will be celebrating the holidays without his son Jerome.
- And think of Lisa, on the north side of Chicago, who gathers her family without her son Shane.
We could go on, but we won’t. Because there is good news. There is a bill in Congress right now that could help people like Kori, Shane, Jerome, and their families. The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act removes barriers to accessing buprenorphine and other treatments, and many lives can be saved if we pass it.
Congress only has a few days left to take action to prevent another year of lost lives and lost progress. But we’re also right on the edge of victory–this bill has bipartisan support and can pass if our elected officials move with urgency. Tell your elected officials to pass the MAT Act now.
Let’s keep our loved ones with us. Tell your elected officials you don’t want more empty seats at holiday tables. It’s time to get this done.
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