Political Quotes

“I rise today to talk about a public health issue that is devastating communities and families in New Hampshire and throughout this country; that is, prescription opioid and heroin abuse. I actually see my colleagues from Rhode Island and Massachusetts here. This is an issue where, on a bipartisan basis, we are focused on important legislation to address this terrible public health crisis. Right now in New Hampshire, heroin--sometimes combined with a very powerful synthetic drug called fentanyl--is taking lives, ruining families, and harming communities. Public safety officials are confronting overdoses every single day. My good friend, Manchester police chief Nick Willard, said recently: ``I'm up to my eyes in heroin addiction.'' Unfortunately, the statistics underscore Chief Willard's statement. In all of 2014, Manchester police seized over 1,300 grams of heroin. As of just last month, Manchester police had seized over 27,000 grams of heroin in 2015. That is nearly 26,000 more grams in just 7 months. In 2014, there were over 320 fatal drug-related overdoses in New Hampshire--up from 193 in 2013--and heroin and fentanyl were the primary drivers of nearly 250 of those deaths. In Manchester alone--our largest city--overdose deaths so far have increased 90 percent over 2014 and over 269 percent if we go back to 2013. That is the crisis we are facing.…”