On the recordMay 12, 2016
I am honored to represent the State of Illinois. It is a big State. From Chicago to Carroll at the southern tip of our State is 400 miles, and, of course, there is more State north of Chicago. I traveled the State over the last several months, and last week I went to the southern tip of the State, worked my way through, came back through central Illinois, and was in the city of Chicago. There is one recurring challenge I find all across the State: No matter what community I visit, I have learned that there is no town too small, no suburb too wealthy, no city that has escaped the opioid and heroin epidemic we are now facing. America is losing more people to heroin overdose than we are to traffic accidents. It has become that common. I try to have roundtables around the State--rural areas, suburban towns--and really try to get the picture of what is happening. I think I have come to understand it a little better because of this effort, and I would like to discuss it today. The opioid/heroin crisis demands our immediate attention. It demands a comprehensive response involving local, State, and Federal Government, law enforcement agencies, and the private sector. For too long we have focused our efforts almost exclusively on responding to and treating addiction. That is a critical element, and I am not going to diminish it, but we need to look beyond that. Yes, we need to make sure substance abuse treatment is available.…
