One of the most heartbreaking things I witness is the devastating effects opioid addiction has on families and communities across all socio-economic classes.
This scourge takes approximately 130 lives a day and affects all of us in some way. I saw this firsthand during my visit to CoxHealth Medical Center South in Springfield, Missouri, last week where I toured the neonatal intensive care unit and saw newborn babies suffering from opioid addiction. Let that sink in.
After the tour, I talked with health care professionals during a roundtable discussion on this crisis. I was anxious to learn how our efforts in Washington are helping fight this growing problem and what more we can do.
In 2017, roughly 50,000 people died from opioid overdoses. Although every part of the country has fallen victim to this crisis, the Midwest has been one of the hardest hit areas. From July 2016 through September 2017, opioid overdoses in the Midwest increased by 70 percent while other regions of the country saw relatively little change.
In 2017, roughly 50,000 people died from opioid overdoses. Although every part of the country has fallen victim to this crisis, the Midwest has been one of the hardest hit areas. From July 2016 through September 2017, opioid overdoses in the Midwest increased by 70 percent while other regions of the country saw relatively little change.
Last October, President Trump signed H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, into law. This comprehensive opioids package targets four areas, including treatment and recovery, prevention, protecting communities and fighting fentanyl.
Soon after the president signed the bill into law we began seeing results. In April, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced a new tool to help more than 1,500 registered drug manufacturers and distributors identify suspicious orders of opioids and reduce transferring of drugs from person to person. In addition to the DEA’s new tool, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in March it is cracking down on the entry of counterfeit and illicit drugs through International Mail Facilities as part of its new authority from the SUPPORT Act.
In Congress we remain committed to overseeing how these agencies implement the SUPPORT Act, and we will continue our investigations. Opioid abuse has taken too many lives and it’s our job to ensure local, state and federal authorities have the resources they need to combat this problem.
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