Up & Coming Weekly

October 29, 2019

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1180686

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 9 of 32

WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM OCTOBER 30- NOVEMBER 5, 2019 UCW 9 Making progress in the fight against opioid addiction by REP. RICHARD HUDSON There are stories that stick with us, pictures seared into our minds and moments we'll never forget. I'll always remember a tragic video a local reporter took on Main Street in Salisbury of first responders treating a couple who overdosed on opioids. I'll never forget hearing a local mother's story about the death of her son who overdosed after doing drugs that were laced with fentanyl. And I still think about the soldiers and veterans who became addicted after being prescribed opioids for injuries sustained during combat or training. At the end of the day, the opioid crisis truly knows no bounds. It does not discriminate based on age, race, religion, geography or income. We all know people in our community whose families have been ravaged by opioids or have lost a loved one to a drug overdose — maybe you've even personally experienced that pain. For years, I've been deeply invested in this is- sue and continue to work to combat this crisis. As your congressman, I worked with my colleagues to get the Comprehensive Addiction and Recov- ery Act and the 21st Century Cures Act signed into law and to ensure North Carolina receives tens of millions of federal dollars to address the opioid crisis. These were important steps, and they were considered by leading national ad- vocates at the time as "the critical response we need" to the opioid epidemic. Last year, I authored three bipartisan pieces of legislation that focused on the safe and responsi- ble packaging and disposal of unused opioids. My bill was called one of "the most important opioid bills," and I was proud to see President Donald Trump sign it into law as part of H.R. 6, the SUP- PORT for Patients and Communities Act. This is considered the most significant congressional ef- fort against a single drug crisis in history, and this week marks the one-year anniversary. As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee — the main Congressional Commit- tee working on opioids legislation — I worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to learn about the opioid epidemic and what legisla- tive solutions could be pursued. Because of these efforts and those of our state government, local leaders and care providers, we've made progress. In 2018, the number of overdose deaths in North Carolina caused by opi- oids dropped – for the first time in five years. This is great news, but our work isn't done. Saturday, Oct. 26, was National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. This day serves as a re- minder of the potential abuse of medications and provides a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of prescription drugs. DEA Take Back Days in the past have been hugely successful, col- lecting hundreds of tons of prescription medica- tions over the past few years. To find a collection site near you, visit Hudson. House.gov or contact my office for more informa- tion at 704-786-1612. OPINION e opioid crisis truly knows no bounds. It does not discriminate based on age, race, religion, geography or income. REP. RICHARD HUDSON, R-N.C. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910-484-6200.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Up & Coming Weekly - October 29, 2019