President Biden’s First Budget Calls for Unprecedented Funding to Address the Overdose and Addiction Epidemic

FY 2022 budget request includes historic investment to curb the overdose epidemic

Washington, D.C. — Today, President Biden released his first budget request to Congress, which calls for a historic investment of $10.7 billion for addressing the overdose and addiction epidemic, an increase of $3.9 billion over the 2021 enacted level. This new funding would support research, prevention, treatment, and recovery support services, with targeted investments to support populations with unique needs, including Native Americans, older Americans, and rural populations.

“This budget request reflects President Biden’s strong commitment to addressing the overdose and addiction epidemic and saving lives,” said Regina LaBelle, Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy. “With this announcement, the President is taking key steps to help build out the type of addiction infrastructure our nation needs.”

On April 1, the Biden-Harris Administration released its first-year drug policy priorities, which proposed specific and targeted actions to reduce overdoses and promote prevention and recovery, expand access to quality treatment, reduce an increasingly lethal supply of illicit substances, and enhance harm reduction services, among others. These actions are critical at a moment when the latest provisional data from the CDC shows that 88,000 people died of an overdose in the 12-month period ending in August 2020, a 26.8% increase, year-over-year. The implementation of these priorities will complement President Biden’s tireless efforts to give American families the tools they need to build back better.

To read more about the President’s budget request, click here.

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