CEO pledge to end opioid addiction
From an email with the subject line "A Father's Request", to a national campaign aimed at tackling the opioid epidemic across America. Addiction Unplugged examines the role of the private sector in battling this crisis.
Why pledge?
The scale and urgency of the opioid epidemic are alarming. Many experts believe it is the worst drug crisis in U.S. history. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of unintentional death in our country. Millions suffer from non-fatal opioid use disorder, and countless more will suffer if trends continue.
Ending this crisis will require our nation’s business leaders to take action. Private businesses can mobilize resources and respond quickly. We can initiate response efforts through employee education, volunteerism, and focus charitable dollars at our discretion. This money can go toward prevention efforts and partnerships with nonprofit organizations. We can also affect change on the treatment side through reviewing our employee health benefits, employee assistance programs and prescription drug plans. Finally, we can harness American brain power, entrepreneurship, and innovation from the private sector to present new ideas and invent solutions!
What happens after I pledge?
Leidos is proud to partner with the Milken Institute Center for Public Health to accelerate the activism of our CEO Pledge. Once you join our coalition, next steps will include:
- Membership in an executive working group, whose goal it is to take the progress we’ve already made across industries even further. The executive working group will have a timeline with specific goals identified by the group in order to scale go-forward efforts
- Regular touchpoints and exchanges of information on best and proven practices to empower members to make evolutionary changes that benefit and support their employees and the communities where they live and work
Together, we have the power to influence and change policies and programs that drive prevention efforts and address substance misuse and mental health challenges more broadly. While our collaboration begins with our own organizations’ approaches to employee wellness, it also extends to those we serve in our communities every day.
Join the more than 90 executives who have pledged their commitment to take action in their local communities.
The Pledge
The opioid epidemic is my problem to help solve. By completing the following form, I pledge that my organization will do what it can to take action.
- I pledge to help create a workplace where it is safe to have uncomfortable, and often difficult, conversations about addiction.
- I pledge to help educate my employees about the dangers of prescription opioids, to dispel the myths and stigma surrounding the disease of addiction, and to support employees and family members' access to quality treatment and recovery services.
- I pledge to support nonprofit organizations dedicated to building drug-free communities and preventing addiction, improving access to quality treatment and supporting recovery.
Share the pledge with your social network
At the 2019 Concordia Summit, the White House and the Department of State announced the Private Sector Call to Action Pledge
This pledge of private sector action aimed at the growing synthetic drug threat will be a key component in battling the flow of illegal narcotics and protecting our citizens and those of other countries from the effects of this epidemic.
