Statement from Governor Hassan on Legislature's Special Session Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Crisis

Statement

Governor Maggie Hassan issued the following statement on the legislature's announcement today of a special session joint task force on the heroin and opioid crisis:

"People are dying nearly every day in New Hampshire from the heroin and opioid epidemic, and we all need to work together on a comprehensive approach to strengthen our efforts to combat this crisis and save lives. With the special session, this urgent issue is receiving the full and swift attention necessary to quickly give patients, providers, parents and law enforcement better tools in the fight against substance abuse, and I thank legislative leadership for their commitment to getting an expedited bill to my desk early next year, as I originally called for.

"There is broad bipartisan consensus on many of the steps we need to take to strengthen our comprehensive approach to the heroin and opioid epidemic and help save lives, many of which are reflected in both the goals of the legislative task force and the legislation that I have proposed. The legislature's proposal is an important step in the right direction, but we know that there is much more that should be part of our comprehensive approach that is not enumerated in the resolution to establish the task force. There is no reason to wait to take these common-sense steps, and I will continue pushing for and working with the legislature and stakeholders from all sectors on a comprehensive, bipartisan package that supports law enforcement, improves prevention, treatment, and recovery, and strengthens our efforts to help save lives and combat the most pressing public health and safety challenge facing our state."

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