Zoeller wants Indiana to be first in line for funding to fight heroin, other drugs

Talk about timing.

While Senate Republicans and Democrats tried to one-up each other Thursday with legislative proposals aimed at addressing the nation’s opioid epidemic, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller was meeting on the same issue with the White House drug czar.

Zoeller’s chat with Michael Botticelli, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, came two days after President Obama asked Congress for an extra $1.1 billion to pay for drug treatment for people addicted to opioid medications and heroin.

“It looks like I’m first in line,” Zoeller said he told Botticelli. “Is there something I can bring home?”

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

While the GOP-controlled Senate is moving quickly on a bill that would devote as much as $80 million to treatment, prevention, and recovery, the legislation approved by a Senate panel Thursday does not include any actual money. That would have to come through a separate appropriations bill.

Senate Democrats Thursday called for a $600 million “emergency spending bill” to fund prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.

Zoeller, who co-chairs Indiana's Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force, said the federal assistance Indiana most needs is funding for treatment programs. That’s especially true, he said, as law enforcement cracks down on drug dealers.

“We’re going to be overwhelmed with people, if they’re willing to come in and seek treatment,” Zoeller said. “We just don’t have the capacity.”

Federal and local authorities announced last week they’ve broken up a drug ring in Scott County, which is struggling with a drug-related HIV outbreak. The 10 people arrested were accused of dealing in methamphetamine and the prescription painkiller Opana.

“We’re going to have a spike as we cut off the supply side,” Zoeller said. “Some will go to heroin. And some may come in and say `I’d like help.’ And you can’t say, `Come back in a few months.’”

Contributing: Deidre Shesgreen, USA TODAY.

Contact Maureen Groppe at mgroppe@gannett.com or @mgroppe on Twitter.