Native American Communities Need Help with Opioid Crisis: Senator Fights for More Funding

Written by Victoria Kim, March 20, 2018

[The Fix]

According to the CDC, Native Americans had the highest overdose death rate of any race in 2015.

One U.S. senator is determined to get tribal communities in the United States their fair share of the billions of dollars in funding dedicated to fighting the national opioid crisis.

Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp, of North Dakota, spearheaded a letter sent to Senate leaders early March, urging them to allocate opioid crisis funding to Native American communities. Nine other U.S. senators, including Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, signed onto the letter.

Heitkamp is trying to bring attention to the drug crisis plaguing tribal communities across the United States. The lack of resources, geographical isolation, and historical trauma in Native communities have only exacerbated the drug crisis.

“Those in Indian country face historically low access to quality health care, including behavioral health services, which could aid in the prevention, treatment and recovery of opioid abuse,” the letter reads. “In addition, tribal communities in rural areas often do not have... [CLICK HEAD THE ENTIRE ARTICLE]:

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(CURATED CONTENT: Written by Victoria Kim, March 20, 2018 - [TheFix.com])

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