President Trump declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency on Oct. 26. Nurses see the devastating impact of the opioid crisis every day. And because of their profession and passion to advocate for their patients, nurses are uniquely positioned to lead the way on finding solutions to alleviate the suffering of individuals and families affected by the opioid epidemic.

“Nurses have long been witness to the opioid crisis,” ANA President Pamela F. Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, said on Twitter after the declaration. “It’s time to take action.” ANA supports H.R. 3692, the Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act of 2017, introduced by Reps. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for additional flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders. ANA also has signed on to the Combating the Opioid Epidemic Act, introduced in the Senate by Bob Casey (D-PA) and Ed Markey (D-MA). This bill would increase funding for response to the opioid crisis and to provide funding for research on addiction and pain.

Use ANA’s helpful tool at p2a.co/zj8L4IN to send an email to your representatives in Congress, encouraging them to support critical, nurse-backed legislation to battle the opioid epidemic that is harming communities across America. Read more at anacapitolbeat.org.