A New Advocacy Organization to Address the Nation's Opioid Addiction Crisis

The U.S. opioid crisis is the leading public health challenge of the new millennium. With more than 300 drug overdoses and poisonings every day —and now the number one cause of death for 18-45-year-olds – Americans cite this as their greatest national concern. Research confirms that if we are to reverse this troubling trend, much more work needs to be done.

To address this unprecedented crisis, policymakers and public health officials need to identify new tools for the toolbox. One increasingly promising option is the use of plant-based compounds for which there is growing scientific evidence of efficacy in the alleviation of opioid addiction. Compounds such as kratom, Ibogaine, and Psilocybin, when taken under a doctor’s care, show two remarkable prospects:  First, there is the potential that these products can be an alternative to dangerous opioid prescriptions for people suffering from pain.  Second, there is burgeoning evidence that shows that these botanicals can also reduce withdrawal symptoms without creating new addiction challenges.

There’s much more work to be done – to study these compounds, to educate the public, and to advocate for their regulation.  That’s the mission of HART, the Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust, a new advocacy organization organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.