Paul Tonko: “I thank the gentlewoman and the gentleman from New Hampshire, our colleagues who have made available this Special Order…”

“I thank the gentlewoman and the gentleman from New Hampshire, our colleagues who have made available this Special Order this evening through the auspices of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic. As co-chair of a similar panel, the bipartisan caucus that addresses the disease of addiction, it is important, I believe, to share information and encourage response out there from the general public to drive the policy process here in Washington. According to SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the use of heroin has almost tripled in the past 8 years, going from 161,000 in 2007 to some 435,000 in 2014. Much of what is fueling this epidemic has been the proliferation of stronger and stronger prescription drug painkillers. Many individuals first get addicted to these prescription drugs and then turn to heroin as a cheaper alternative. One in 15 people who take prescription pain relievers for a nonmedical use will try heroin within 10 years. These statistics are sobering and require a degree of response, an ultimate response, with great emergency. I have seen these issues firsthand in my district, and all of my colleagues are acknowledging here that it is beyond the Northeast. It is penetrating our Nation. While there has been increased congressional interest in these crises, not enough is being done to effectively end the epidemic. First, we need to increase funding for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant.…”