Advocates for Opioid Recovery

Advocates for Opioid Recovery (AOR) is an advocacy group founded by Former Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Van Jones, a former domestic policy adviser to former United States President Barack Obama.[1]

Activities

The group's activities have included publishing op-eds and providing interviews to push for opioid addiction treatment.[2]

As paid advisers for the group, Kennedy, Gingrich and Van Jones have conducted a number of joint interviews with various media outlets, ranging from Fox News to the New Yorker.[3]

The group's social media campaign "#LetsTrumpAddiction" is aimed at encouraging President Trump to reaffirm his commitment to ending the opioid crisis.[4][5]

Positions

Gingrich, Kennedy and Jones have called for Congress to fix the national shortage of physicians who are certified to prescribe opioid recovery medication, as well as the laws that restrict the number of addicted patients a physician can treat in a year. They have called for insurance companies to start covering treatments with medication in the same manner as they cover treatments for any other chronic disease. Additionally, they have called for drug courts to encourage treatment with medication as part of sentencing.[6]

Funding

According to STAT News, Gingrich stated he had no idea who was funding the organization.[3] According to USA Today, the organization is funded by a grant from Braeburn Pharmaceuticals.[1]

References
  1. "As he chairs Trump's opioid commission, Christie champions his home-state drug companies". USA Today. October 19, 2017.
  2. "Physician-payment disclosure bill is a good first step – but more needed". The Globe and Mail. 27 September 2017.
  3. "Opioid treatment group fronted by politicians keeps its funders secret". STAT News. 3 March 2017.
  4. "Advocacy". Advocates for Opioid Recovery. Accessed October 24, 2017.
  5. Rehkopf, Bill (27 February 2017). "It's time to 'Trump' opioid addiction in the United States". The Hill.
  6. Newt Gingrich, Patrick J. Kennedy and Van Jones. "Treat America's Opioid Epidemic With Medication". Time.


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