Governor Hassan Announces Substance Abuse Director's Initial Recommendations

Press Release

Governor Maggie Hassan today announced the initial list of 22 recommendations made by her Senior Director of Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health, Jack Wozmak, aimed at strengthening the state's efforts to combat the opioid and substance misuse crisis. These recommendations include making it easier for families to access Narcan, expanding access to substance abuse treatment, strengthening the provider network, facilitating more substance abuse treatment for people involved in the legal system, and boosting education and awareness efforts.

Wozmak will be at the Governor and Council breakfast tomorrow at the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish to discuss the recommendations and his work as Senior Director for Substance Misuse and Behavioral Health.

"The opioid and substance misuse crisis facing our state is our most pressing public health and safety challenges," Governor Hassan said. "The growing number of opioid users and the increasing number of overdose deaths affect families and communities across the state, touching people from all walks of life. As these recommendations make clear, we must tackle this challenge with a multi-pronged approach, focusing on prevention, treatment and recovery. In the words of law enforcement officials, we cannot arrest our way out of this crisis."

"Substance use rates are particularly troubling among our young people, with the 2015 KIDS Count Data Book showing that New Hampshire highest rate of substance abuse by teens," Governor Hassan added. "New Hampshire rose to second for overall child well-being, but our rising rates of youth substance abuse kept us from reclaiming the top spot. This further underscores the need to boost our education, awareness and prevention efforts."

In partnership with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Governor Hassan appointed Jack Wozmak in February to serve as Senior Director of Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health in order to coordinate the state's efforts on substance misuse crisis and to serve as a liaison to the New Hampshire Governor's Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Intervention, Treatment and Recovery. Since beginning his role, Wozmak has met with more than 100 individuals, organizations and other stakeholders across the state to develop his initial recommendations, work on many of which is already ongoing.

"New Hampshire is in the midst of a profound public health crisis that affects the quality and availability of the workforce, drains the economy of resources and interferes with economic growth," Wozmak said. "The human toll cannot be measured. To address this crisis we must reach out to our youngest citizens and impart the strongest prevention messages possible -- we must change the way the next generation thinks about all substances that they ingest, we must provide treatment for those who are currently addicted and we must provide avenues of recovery to help our citizens remain healthy.

"It has taken 20 years for us to reach this point," Wozmak added. "The time to act is upon us. These initiatives require the cooperation and focus of thousands of Granite Staters from all walks of life. I have no doubt that New Hampshire can be a model for the rest of the county as we embark on this multifaceted approach to this crisis."

In addition to working with the Governor's Commission, state agencies and community leaders to implement these recommendations, Wozmak will continue meeting with families, providers, law enforcement and community leaders, and recommend additional steps as warranted.

Many of the recommendations will implement or augment the recommendations of the Governor's Commission's "Collective Action/Collective Impact: New Hampshire's Strategy for Reducing the Misuse of Alcohol and Other Drugs and Promoting Recovery," which was issued in 2013.

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