USDA Unveils New Website Addressing Opioid Crisis

Wisconsin Rural Development State Director Frank Frassetto unveiled a new webpage featuring resources to help rural communities respond to the opioid crisis. The website is:  usda.gov/topics/opioids.

The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that more than 63,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2016. More than half of those deaths involved opioids, including prescription drugs and heroin.

USDA is helping rural communities address this national problem at the local level through program investment, strategic partnerships and best practice implementation.

In April 2017, President Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump, which included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America.

The Task Force included a recommendation to modernize health care access. The report highlighted the importance of telemedicine in enhancing access to primary care and specialty providers. The Task Force also found that improved access to mental and behavioral health care, particularly prevention, treatment and recovery resources, is vital to addressing the opioid crisis and other substance misuse in rural communities. To view the report in its entirety, go to usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/rural-prosperity-report.pdf.