Vivera invites congress members combatting the opioid crisis to discuss response and prevention solutions. A recently released congressional Joint Economic Committee (JEC) report estimates that opioid addiction has cost the United States nearly $1.5 trillion in 2020—indicating a 37% increase since 2017.

According to the JEC report, the pandemic is responsible for much of the increase, with the dual factors of healthcare disruption and increased socioeconomic stress worsening addiction rates.

Maryland U.S. Representative David Trone, who sits on the JEC, has experienced coping with the devastating effects of the addiction and overdose crisis, as he lost his beloved nephew to an opioid overdose.

Mr. Trone attributes his nephew's death to being the catalyst for his self-education and personal involvement in the fight against addiction and the mental health component that often coexists.

In a recent JEC Joint Economic Committee press release, Mr. Trone stated, "It has become abundantly clear that the opioid epidemic is not only a health crisis but also an economic and national security one. With the epidemic now taking a $1.5 trillion annual toll on our economy, our nation is more vulnerable than ever due to inaction. Over the last two years, the nation has rallied behind a common cause, investing trillions of dollars into research, treatment, and prevention to find a cure for COVID-19. Now, it's time to do the same for the opioid epidemic. With incalculable human cost and a staggering economic impact, this epidemic deserves urgent, collective action on a national scale."

Stories like Mr. Trone’s hit close to home for Chairman and CEO of Vivera Paul Edalat, who lost his brother to the effects of opioids.

Mr. Edalat’s brother Peter was only 29 years old when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Peter’s doctor prescribed him high doses of opioids to help manage pain and side effects from chemotherapy, and just two years after his diagnosis, he passed away.

Mr. Edalat expressed that while it was difficult to watch his younger brother battle cancer, it was even more difficult for him to watch him struggle with addiction.

To leaders like Mr. Trone and Mr. Edalat, the opioid crisis is personal. Witnessing loved ones lose their lives to addiction has become the driving force behind their missions to prevent the loss of even more lives to opioid addiction.

To honor his brother’s legacy, Mr. Edalat co-invented ZICOH, Vivera’s intelligent, dose-controlled prescription medication delivery device designed to prevent prescription medication misuse and diversion.

“It is truly admirable what Mr. Trone has accomplished when it comes to the opioid crisis,” said Mr. Edalat. “And I completely agree; when the pandemic hit, we invested much of our resources into COVID and implemented real solutions in record time. The opioid crisis has been going on for decades, and we have not made nearly as much progress. It’s time to put our resources into the opioid crisis. I would love the opportunity to connect with Mr. Trone and other leaders to discuss how we can begin to make real change.”

Stories like this are becoming far too common. It’s estimated that over one million Americans have died from a drug overdose. It’s time to start implementing real solutions, and to Vivera, that begins with ZICOH.