Addiction is a public health issue, and Sam Edwards is prepared to fight stigma in the State House to ensure the best treatment is available for South Carolinians.
Republicans focusing on this important issue continue to ignore the harm done by their refusal to expand Medicaid.
Studies show the most effective treatment for opioid addiction often requires opioid medications such as methadone or buprenorphine. This is called Medication-Assisted Treatment or MAT.
The stunning finding here is that we have effective treatments for people who survive an overdose but only three in 10 are getting those medications.
Our state must continue to expand access to MAT so that effective treatment is available when people need it.
Continuing widespread distribution of naloxone – overdose antidote – for acute cases will save lives, too, but is not the long-term treatment users need and deserve.
Safe injections sites will save lives.
Sam's focus is on saving lives.
Scientists need to be able to research the medical uses of marijuana. Policy has prevented this research from taking place.
There are positive signs from states with medical marijuana legislation that marijuana is an alternative to opioid pain management that does not have the associated risk of overdose deaths. Sam supports the legalization of marijuana.
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