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A28 u.s. news
Diahuebs 7 aPRiL 2022

US: Discrimination based on opioid treatment violates law

legal drugs. for opioid addiction; a town stopping the discrimination,
refusing to allow a treatment Ready to Work was required
Public health experts believe facility if the opposition is to pay the person who com-
that increasing the availabil- based on residents’ hostility plained $7,500.
ity and acceptance of medi- toward people with addic-
cations such as methadone tions; a jail barring inmates The department also sent a
and buprenorphine to treat from taking prescribed medi- letter in March to the Indi-
opioid addiction is essential cation to block opioid addic- ana State Board of Nursing
to curtailing the crisis. But tion. over its decision to remove a
those drugs — which are nurse from a required licens-
themselves opioids — have In February, the department ing program over her use of
long had stigmas attached to sued the judicial system in medication to treat an addic-
them. Pennsylvania, alleging that tion. A spokesperson for the
some courts under its juris- board did not immediately
The Justice Department diction prohibit or limit peo- respond to a request for com-
guidelines clarify that drug ple in court supervision pro- ment Tuesday.
addiction is considered an grams from using medication
(AP) - A deepening opioid accessing evidence-based impairment under the ADA. to treat opioid use disorder. The Justice Department doc-
epidemic is prompting treatment or continuing on The department says they do In a response, Pennsylvania ument notes that federal law
the U.S. Department of their path of recovery,” Assis- not represent a policy change officials said they had taken does not protect people who
Justice to warn about dis- tant Attorney General Kristen but rather clarify existing re- steps to “enhance awareness are using illegal drugs. A drug
crimination against those Clarke said in a statement. quirements. in the few, discrete judicial rehabilitation program, for
who are prescribed medi- districts involved,” example, would not be vio-
cation to treat their addic- The nation’s addiction over- “We know that seeking and lating the law if it kicked out
tions. dose crisis has intensified in accessing treatment is a criti- The U.S. reached a settle- a participant who routinely
recent years. The U.S. Cen- cal part of reversing the ad- ment with Massachusetts kept using drugs.
In guidelines published Tues- ters for Disease Control and diction crisis and the over- courts last month over simi-
day, the department’s Civil Prevention announced last dose crisis,” said Kevin Roy, lar allegations, prompting the But the guidelines do say that
Rights Division said employ- year that more than 100,000 the chief public policy officer courts to change their prac- a person who uses opioids le-
ers, health care providers, law people had died from over- at the advocacy group Shat- tices. gally prescribed to treat pain
enforcement agencies that doses over a 12-month pe- terproof. “People are going could not be fired because of
operate jails and others are riod, the highest level ever to be more likely to get treat- The government last month it.
violating the Americans with recorded. ment because of this policy, also reached a settlement
Disabilities Act if they dis- and that has the potential to with Ready to Work, a Col- “The Justice Department is
criminate against people for Most of the deaths are linked reduce the number of people orado agency that provides committed to using federal
taking prescription drugs to to opioids, which include at risk of overdose death.” services to the homeless. It civil rights laws such as the
treat opioid use disorder. prescription painkillers, mor- was accused of denying ad- ADA to safeguard people
phine, heroin and potent lab- The guidelines give examples mission to one would-be par- with opioid use disorder
“People who have stopped oratory-made drugs such as of possible violations: A doc- ticipant because she was on from facing discriminatory
illegally using drugs should fentanyl that often are mixed tor’s office denying care to medications to treat opioid barriers as they move forward
not face discrimination when into the supplies of other il- patients receiving treatment use disorder. In addition to with their lives,” Clarke said.

Residents evacuated from Florida apartments deemed unsafe

(AP) — Residents of a five- from faulty buildings when said. residents.”
story apartment building necessary. In addition, the building’s
near Miami have been evacu- The building had been un- He said residents were given owner is returning April rent
ated after an engineer said its North Miami Beach has been dergoing repairs since July to until Tuesday afternoon to and security deposits within
foundation was unsound, as especially proactive, also try to meet recertification re- retrieve smaller items, and 72 hours, Sorey said.
officials heighten focus on evacuating a 10-story condo quirements. But an engineer that they would be able to
the safety of aging buildings tower shortly after the Surf- then informed the building remove larger furniture start- “One thing to note is the
following last year’s deadly side collapse. owner that the foundation ing Friday. Officials will limit rents in this building that just
Surfside condominium col- was shifting and residents the number of people in the closed are between $1,500
lapse. Bayview 60 resident Austin should be removed immedi- building, however, he added. and $1,900 a month. And If
Harper said he was surprised ately, City Manager Arthur you know anything about
The evacuations Monday and to see sheriffs and munici- Sorey told The Associated Residents were given three- South Florida that is very
Tuesday were at the Bayview pal officials posting notes on Press on Tuesday. day hotel vouchers for now, cheap rent right now and af-
60 Homes tower, built in the building’s 60 apartment and the Miami-Dade Home- fordable,″ Sorey said. “That’s
1972 in North Miami Beach, doors early Monday. The engineer copied the city less Trust and the American going to be the issue right
and came during one of the in on the email late Friday Red Cross would help with now with those individu-
structure’s recertification “They said you have until 2 but since it was after working housing for those having dif- als trying to find something
inspections required by the p.m. tomorrow to vacate, so hours, city officials did not ficulty finding accommoda- along the same lines and the
county every 10 years, fol- I said, OK, you know — not see it until Monday morning, tions, Mayor Anthony DeFil- same price. It’s going to be
lowing its initial 40-year re- really much you can do with Sorey said. He said as soon as lipo said. very hard.”
certification. that,” Harper told reporters they did, they contacted the
outside the building Tuesday building owner and came up
That process has drawn new while residents carted boxes, with a plan to evacuate every-
scrutiny after the Champ- lamps and mattresses into one.
lain Towers South collapse moving trucks.
last year killed 98 people as it “We did speak with the own-
was having its 40-year check. Harper said many of the el- er and advised the owner that
Miami-Dade County is mov- derly people living in the they should have closed the
ing toward requiring the first building will have trouble re- building,” Sorey said. “But
major recertification to take locating. “For me, I’m more once we got the information,
place after only 30 years, and of bachelor life so I can move we went out and did what we
municipalities have stepped out easily. Some people have needed to do to protect the
up action to remove residents lived here 10 years, plus,″ he lives of North Miami Beach