Katherine Clark: “I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia for his work and leadership on the underlying bill. We know that addiction…”

“I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia for his work and leadership on the underlying bill. We know that addiction does not wait until adulthood. A majority of adults in substance use treatment start using before turning 18. My amendment would direct the GAO to study research and programs carried out by the Department of Justice and its grantees and report on those programs' findings and work regarding substance use and substance use disorders among adolescents and young adults. The amendment would require GAO to report on any gaps in the research around adolescent and young adult substance use that have been identified by experts or Department of Justice officials. We need to understand what extended opioid use means for young brains and how it affects development and growth. We also need to understand how early exposure to opioids might change young people's needs with respect to treatment and support on the road to recovery. I would like to tell you about a constituent of mine named Chip. Chip was an athlete. He excelled at hockey and baseball. Playing sports was extremely important to him. But then, in eighth grade, he started drinking. Shortly after, drugs entered the picture, and Chip stopped caring about everything. As a young husband and father by the time he was 22, Chip always felt like something was missing. Anytime there was a problem, Chip reached for drugs as a solution. He received two OUIs in 1 year. He lost his license. He lost his family.…”