Add Funding For Prevention To The State’s Budget

• 16% of Missouri’s budget is spent on risky substance use addiction. Of that amount,
• 2 cents of each dollar is spent on prevention and treatment
• 98 cents of each dollar goes towards the repercussions of addiction. (Center on Addiction, 2017)
• There is a strong connection between substance use and mental illness
• 6 in 10 substance users also have a mental illness. (NIDA)
• 1 in 8 children are affected by anxiety, but only 20% receive treatment.
• Additional funding for prevention is essential to reduce overall state costs.
• CCBHC’s have saved Missouri $20 million in the past two years.
• Savings go directly into the general revenue
• The successes of CCBHC’s prove that Missouri must approve a long-term commitment to support these organizations. 

Ban All Fruit Flavored Vape Products In Missouri

• Flavors are the #1 reason teens start vaping.
• The current policy on flavors only restricts prepackaged cartridges.
• There are NO restrictions on flavored disposable vapes and flavored e-juice, which are popular products among youth.
• Menthol is still available for sale in pre-packaged forms. 50% of youth who smoke started with menthol flavor.
• For the first time in history, more kids report vaping in the past 30 days over drinking alcohol (MSS, 2018)

Establish A Unified, Comprehensive Narcotics Control Monitoring Program Between Pharmacies  SB677, HB1693

• Rx drug and heroin abuse is a growing problem in the KC region as overdose ER visits continue to rise. (mopdmpnow.org)
• In 2018, deaths due to overdoses rose by 17% in Missouri, one of only 5 states to see a double-digit increase.
• 1 in 10 Missouri students report using drugs not prescribed to them, 35% higher than the national average. (MSS, 2018)
• States with strong PDMP mandates have seen large declines in patients seeing multiple prescribers for the same drugs. (Tennessee-36% decline, New York-75%)
• If Missouri adopts a PDMP, and other states enhance their programs, it is estimated there would be 600 fewer deaths nationwide (approximately 2 less per day). (Patrick, Fry, Jones & Buntin, 2016)