Lee Zeldin: “The growing heroin and opioid crisis has especially hit home in my district in Suffolk County, New York. There was a…”

“The growing heroin and opioid crisis has especially hit home in my district in Suffolk County, New York. There was a 2015 report issued in New York State that showed that, out of all 62 counties in New York, it was my home county that was hit the hardest by the rise of heroin and opioid abuse. We had the highest number of heroin-related overdose deaths of any county in New York. As a member of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, I have spoken with affected families directly. Addiction is a truly devastating disease that shatters lives, families, and communities. It is a disease that only continues to spread at rapid rates, and more can and must be done to counteract the damage it has done and prevent its rapid advancement. Working closely with my local community, I have been pursuing a more localized solution to address this crisis. Hosting multiple drug task force roundtables in Suffolk County, I have been able to bring together local elected officials, law enforcement, health professionals, community groups, parents, concerned residents, and those in recovery to discuss various ways that we can work together to combat this epidemic. Over the past year, working with both local residents and my colleagues in Congress, I have been pushing to advance legislation in the House that would help provide us with the resources we need to end the growing epidemic crisis on Long Island.…”