CLEVELAND URBANNEWS.COM-Washington, DC –  Ohio Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11), a Warrensville Heights Democrat whose largely Black 11th congressional district includes Cleveland and several of its eastern suburbs, on Friday joined fellow Democrats Congressman Tim Ryan ) of Niles(OH-13,  Congresswomen Marcy Kaptur (OH-9), whose congressional district extends from Toledo to Cleveland, and Joyce Beatty of Columbus (OH-3), in announcing a crucial bill re-introduced by Fudge officially titled the Breaking Addiction Act of 2017.

The Breaking Addiction Act was first introduced by Reps. Fudge and Ryan in 2014, and directed the secretary of Health and Human Services to accept state Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD ) exclusion waiver applications.

The 2017 version enhances the previous legislation by getting rid of the IMD exclusion completely to reduce red tape and allow states like Ohio to address the growing drug epidemic faster.

"As Ohio continues to grapple with a deadly heroin/opioid epidemic, this legislation breaks down barriers to treatment and increases the number of beds available for patients suffering from substance use disorder,"Fudge said in a press release to Cleveland Urban News.Com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper.

Last year Ohio had the most recorded deaths related to heroin in the United States, one in nine, in fact, data show. And the buckeye state led in the most recorded deaths for synthetic opioid, a figure of roughly one in 14 U.S. deaths.

Cuyahoga County, the second largest of 88 counties statewide and of which includes Cleveland, recorded some 500 heroin and fetanyl-related deaths in 2016 alone.

Under current law the (IMD) exclusion prohibits Medicaid matching payments for services provided in treatment facilities that have more than 16 beds.  The Breaking Addiction Act removes this outdated policy, allowing states to better utilize Medicaid to serve more people.

“Too many Ohioans in the 11^th congressional district suffer from substance abuse, and they are not alone," said Fudge " Our state and nation are in the middle of a deadly epidemic that, if it continues, will have devastating effects on our future,"

The congresswoman said that "while many seek care, they are turned away because communities cannot meet the demand for treatment."

"By getting rid of the antiquated IMD exclusion," said Fudge, "the Breaking Addiction Act not only increases access to treatment, but gives states the flexibility and resources they need to save lives.”

“Each day I turn on the news and learn about another life taken too soon because of heroin or prescription drug abuse," said Congressman Ryan. "As a country, we must do more to ensure these men and women have access to the care that is desperately needed, and that means taking a hard look at our current treatment structure."

Ryan said that he was " proud to join Congresswoman Fudge in introducing the Breaking Addiction Act, which addresses the growing drug crisis and increases access to addiction treatment."

Congresswoman Kaptur, the longest serving woman in congress, agreed.

“Families and communities devastated by the tragedy of opioid addiction need relief," said Kaptur.  "Empty promises and shell game budget maneuvers will not stem the tide of suffering and heartache that so many families endure as a result of the opioid crisis in America."

Congresswoman Beatty, one of two Blacks from Ohio in congress along with Fudge, who is also a former Warrensville Heights mayor and prior national president of Delta Sigma Theta Inc, said the heroin epidemic is growing.

“Every day, on average, nearly 10 Ohioans die from an accidental opioid overdose," said Beatty. "In fact, the state of Ohio has the unfortunate distinction of having the most opioid-related overdoses than any other state in the nation."

ClevelandUrbanNews.Com and the KathyWrayColemanOnlineNewsBlog.Com