Hendrée Jones Speaks at Presidential Panel about Opioid Misuse During Pregnancy

WASHINGTON – At the recent Leadership Meeting on Maternal Addiction, Opioid Exposed Infants and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome hosted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Hendrée Jones, Ph.D., a senior research psychologist in the Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice division, Substance Abuse Treatment Evaluations and Interventions program, addressed the issue of the growing number of pregnant women who use opioids.

Opioids are pain medications that include but are not limited to hydrocodone, oxycodone and morphine, and according to Jones, opioid misuse during pregnancy is a serious and growing health problem.

The increase in misuse appears to be fueling an increase in the incidence of neonatal opioid withdrawal, and multi-faceted interventions are needed to help prevent and treat opioid dependence among women during their pregnancies. Opioid misuse is often complicated by other drug use, and occurs intertwined with complex personal, family, social and environmental factors that can contribute to adverse consequences.

In addition to highlighting the increase in opioid usage, Jones also addressed potential solutions for the 2013 National Drug Control Strategy. She believes education regarding addiction and its treatment should become a meaningful part of the basic curriculum for any degrees or certification in law enforcement, judicial, health care and social service fields.

The ONDCP event brought together federal government representatives, scientists and stakeholders to discuss the emerging issues related to the increase in numbers of children born to mothers affected by chronic opioid use.

It was an opportunity to provide an update on implementation of the prescription drug plan, as well as to share new data and trends.

A component of the Executive Office of the President, the Office of National Drug Control Policy was created by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. The office advises the president on drug-control issues, coordinates drug-control activities and related funding across the Federal government, and produces the annual National Drug Control Strategy, which outlines administration efforts to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing and trafficking, drug-related crime and violence, and drug-related health consequences.

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