John Rice Carter: “I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank the gentleman for hosting this Special Order. This is certainly a very…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank the gentleman for hosting this Special Order. This is certainly a very important subject, one that I am very familiar with. It is indeed an epidemic in our country. There is not a State nor a district that hasn't been touched by this problem. Countless people have succumbed to this issue. That issue is the use of opioids and the devastating impact on our communities. Recent data showed that overdose deaths have jumped by over 50 percent in the decade leading up to 2015. In addition, nearly 1,300 people died in Georgia in 2015 from drug overdoses. These are statistics that need to be urgently addressed. We have made great progress with the passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, but we have an opportunity to do more. One staggering statistic is that last year it is estimated that roughly 60,000 people died from drug overdoses--a number that is far too high. Just earlier this month, four people in central Georgia died in a matter of 2 days due to opioid overdoses from falsely labeled drugs. That instance is not only troubling because it reflects growing painkiller use in the rural parts of my State, but because it also represents another problem: counterfeit and fake drugs. An issue that I have been working on is the growing trend of drugs and drug ingredients being ordered abroad and delivered through the mail to addresses around the country.…”