When DATA 2000 was passed, the office-based treatment it created was envisioned
as another option for opioid-addicted people. There was, and still is, a large gap between the numbers of people in the U.S. who need medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction, and the number of treatment slots available at traditional opioid treatment programs. DATA 2000, it was hoped, would create treatment slots to shrink that gap.

DATA 2000 succeeded in making medication-assisted treatment more available, but there are still too many opioid addicts dying from their addiction.

Just like with other chronic diseases, opioid addiction exists on a continuum. Some opioid addicts get to treatment only after they’ve lost everything, have serious co-occurring mental health issues, and have few emotional supports. Others are able to reach for help earlier in the course of addiction, have no co-occurring mental health issues, and a supportive network of friends and family. One opioid-addicted…