Assemblymember Marie Waldron, Special to Valley NewsIn California, opioid and heroin use is a major threat to public health and is the leading cause of death for those under 50. It’s a major cause of crime and contributes directly to high recidivism rates in our prison system.That’s why I’ve introduced Assembly Bill 1304, co-written by state Sen. Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana, which will provide medication-assisted treatment for eligible parolees who volunteer to participate. Medication-assisted treatment is an innovative treatment program that uses medications combined with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat substance use disorders. Findings reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse clearly show that providing criminal offenders with substance use treatment reduc
