A group of addiction recovery advocates from around the South, including Georgia, have begun collaborating to better work with legislators in the nation's capital. GPB’s Ellen Eldridge has more.

A graphic of 12 southeastern states that formed an addiction recovery coalition.

About 200 advocates from 12 states met online Oct. 16 for the inaugural meeting of the Southeast Addiction Recovery Coalition.

Credit: Southeast Addiction Recovery Coalition

An amazing thing is happening in the South where people are rising up to say, "No more stigma about addiction," Jeff Breedlove said. 

About 200 advocates from 12 states met online Oct. 16 for the inaugural meeting of the Southeast Addiction Recovery Coalition, of which Breedlove is a founding member. 

The coalition includes elected officials at the federal, state and local level as well as business leaders, faith leaders, law enforcement leaders, and leaders of civic groups such as Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, he said.

"One of the things that we're determined to do is unite voices from across the spectrum that have been impacted by the addiction epidemic," Breedlove said. "And those voices start with family voices and the voices of survivors."

The No. 1 cause of death in America for Americans 18 to 45 is overdose and fentanyl poisoning, and the South suffers disproportionately, not just in devastated rural areas, but in urban and suburban areas.

The goal is to build better relationships among the bipartisan members of addiction and recovery-related congressional legislative caucuses. 

"We need to organize so that members of Congress and their staff will stand with us, stand by us, and advocate for us for laws and programs and funding in Washington," he said. "And that's just the start."

Tags: Georgia  Atlanta  addiction  substance use disorder  recovery