Sen. Pettersen Statement on Overdose Deaths Surpassing 100,000 for First Time Ever in US, Commits to Continued Work on Improving Behavioral Health Access in Colorado

THE CDC REPORTED THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF OVERDOSE DEATHS EVER RECORDED IN THE NATION ON WEDNESDAY 

DENVER, CO — Senator Brittany Pettersen (D-Lakewood), Chair of the state’s Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force, today released the subsequent statement in response to recent provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that more than 100,000 people died of overdoses between April 2020 and April 2021 in the United States:

“This week, we’ve reached a heartbreaking milestone that truly hits home for me. As the daughter of someone with a substance use disorder, I know the pain and anguish families feel when a loved one is struggling with this condition.

“Far too many families like mine have to worry about a loved one – whether it be a child or a parent – whose life is at risk because of this epidemic, and we need to do everything we can to stop it. If we are serious about ending this crisis, then we must treat substance use disorder like we would treat any other illness. That’s why I’m working closely with my colleagues on the state’s Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force to improve access to behavioral healthcare so we can help more Coloradans and save more lives.

“We have a long road ahead of us, but I remain committed as ever to working hard on the state-level to end the stigma surrounding substance use disorder and creating an accessible and equitable behavioral health care system that supports effective, data-driven and evidence-based treatment methods so we can ensure that our residents get the vital care they need and deserve.”

In an effort to increase access to behavioral health treatment for Coloradans, this year the state legislature passed the Behavioral Health Recovery Act, championed by Senator Pettersen. The new law allocated $550 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal stimulus funds to help local governments and rural municipalities address substance use disorders and other behavioral health prevention and treatment needs throughout the state.

Of these dollars, $100 million are identified for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to address emergency behavioral health and substance abuse treatment needs exasperated by the pandemic, and priorities for the remaining $450 million will be guided by an Interim Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force that has been working with a sub-panel of experts over the past several months ahead of next year's legislative session.