Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA, 2016)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (Public Law 114–198)

2) Why It Was Done
CARA was enacted to combat the opioid epidemic by authorizing a comprehensive response including prevention, treatment, recovery, law enforcement, and criminal justice reform.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
The Controlled Substances Act (1970) and later drug laws focused on enforcement. CARA shifted federal policy toward integrating treatment and recovery support into the response.

4) Overreach or Proper Role?
Supporters say it was a long-overdue public health response. Critics argue it lacked adequate funding and left enforcement-heavy drug policies intact.

5) Who or What It Controls

• Federal agencies (coordinate addiction and recovery programs)
• State and local governments (receive grants for prevention/treatment initiatives)
• Healthcare providers and nonprofits (funding for medication-assisted treatment, naloxone distribution, recovery housing)

6) Key Sections / Citations

• Expanded access to naloxone (opioid overdose reversal)
• Authorized grants for medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
• Strengthened prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs)
• Enhanced treatment alternatives to incarceration

7) Recent Changes or Live Controversies

• Reauthorized and expanded in SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (2018)
• Ongoing debates about adequacy of funding
• Remains central to U.S. response to the opioid crisis, alongside state-level initiatives

8) Official Sources

• Congress.gov – CARA 2016
• SAMHSA – Grants and Programs under CARA
• National Institute on Drug Abuse – CARA Overview

• Public Health
• Addiction
• Opioid Crisis
• Treatment
• Recovery