In Support of President Biden’s Unity Agenda, White House Drug Policy Director Travels to North Carolina to Discuss Efforts to Address the Overdose Epidemic and Save Lives

Charlotte, NC – This week, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta traveled to North Carolina to highlight historic actions and investments the Biden-Harris Administration has made over the past four years to address the overdose epidemic and save lives. During his trip, Dr. Gupta heard firsthand from North Carolinians on the frontlines – including students, educators, and public health and public safety leaders – about their community-led efforts on the ground to address this crisis.

“President Biden made addressing the overdose epidemic a key pillar of his Unity Agenda for the Nation because he knows it’s an issue that affects every community – from red states, to blue states, and everywhere in between,” said Dr. Gupta. “Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, this Administration has worked to strengthen our all-of-government response to tackle this public health and public safety crisis head-on, and we will continue supporting state and local efforts on the ground, like those in North Carolina, to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and build healthy, safe and resilient communities.”

On Tuesday, Dr. Gupta joined faith and local community leaders in Durham for a roundtable discussion on the work they are doing to address substance use and support recovery. They discussed the key role many faith leaders are playing in addressing the nation’s overdose crisis, providing strong support systems and safe spaces for Americans with substance use disorder.

On Wednesday, Dr. Gupta visited the Durham County Detention Center for a tour of the facility to learn about their opioid treatment program, which is conducted in collaboration with a treatment provider to ensure that incarcerated individuals can receive medication for opioid use disorder, including buprenorphine, naltrexone, and methadone. Expanding access to treatment in carceral settings is a critical part of addressing the nation’s overdose epidemic, and strengthening public health and public safety. After the tour, Dr. Gupta joined Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead and Durham County Health Director Dr. Rodney Jenkins to see firsthand the vending machine that provides 24/7 access to free naloxone. Dr. Gupta applauded their efforts to expand access to life-saving overdose reversal medications, like naloxone, which is another key priority of this Administration. At President Biden and Vice President Harris’ direction, the Administration has taken historic action to ensure overdose reversal medications are as accessible as possible across the country, including making naloxone available for over-the-counter purchase for the first time ever. Just earlier this year, the Administration launched the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose, a nationwide call-to-action to stakeholders across all sectors to save lives by committing to increase training on and access to lifesaving opioid overdose reversal medications.

In the afternoon, Dr. Gupta joined medical students, internal medicine residents, and faculty from the UNC School of Medicine and Campbell University to discuss the critical role the health workforce plays in addressing substance use disorder and preventing overdose deaths. As the first physician to serve as Director of ONDCP, and someone who has treated patients for substance use disorder firsthand, Dr. Gupta highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic efforts to remove decades-long barriers to substance use disorder treatment and overdose reversal medication, including expanding the number of health care providers who can prescribe medication for opioid use disorder from 129,000 to nearly 2 million, and investing 40% more in treatment than the previous administration. After the roundtable, Dr. Gupta visited UNC Health Blue Ridge for a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new six-story patient tower, which features a new Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, and specialty rooms for behavioral health care.

On Thursday, Dr. Gupta joined law enforcement officials from Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Huntersville, Gaston County, and Huntersville, and members of federal law enforcement agencies for a roundtable discussion to hear about their efforts to address the overdose epidemic in the greater Charlotte Metro area. During the roundtable, Dr. Gupta highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s support for strengthening critical federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement partnerships through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program. Just this summer, amid record declines in violent crime nationwide, the Administration announced over $276 million in new funding for law enforcement agencies that seize illicit drugs like fentanyl, prevent and reduce gun violence and other violent crime associated with drug trafficking, improve interdiction efforts through enhanced data sharing and targeting, and dismantle illicit finance operations.

In the afternoon, Dr. Gupta joined faith and local community leaders in Charlotte for a roundtable discussion on the Administration’s whole-of-society effort to address substance use and support recovery. Later in the day, Dr. Gupta joined Former Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris at Northeastern University in Charlotte for a fireside chat to discuss actions the Administration is taking to reduce overdoses, build a more recovery-ready nation, and support communities in Charlotte.

The Biden-Harris Administration has made addressing the nation’s overdose epidemic a top priority. During his first State of the Union address, President Biden announced beating the overdose epidemic as one of the four pillars of his Unity Agenda, focused on issues where all Americans can come together and make progress for the nation. Over the past four years, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic action and made historic investments to strengthen public health and crack down on illicit drug trafficking across the nation.

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