In Letter to President, King Calls for Increased Funding to Address Opioid Epidemic

Statement

Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) wrote a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to increase funding in the 2017 Fiscal Year budget to address the prescription drug and heroin epidemic in Maine and across the country. In the letter, Senator King underscored his call for a comprehensive approach to combat drug addiction and support the communities dealing with this public health and safety crisis.

"As you are well aware, addiction to opioids, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and heroin is tearing at the fabric of our communities and families and devastating people's lives across the country," Senator King wrote in the letter. "Addressing this epidemic will require a multi-faceted approach, including a strong commitment to prevention, treatment, enforcement and various measures to support communities feeling its acute effects. […]Ultimately, the opioid and heroin crisis we face demands an aggressive approach at the federal level to create lasting solutions on behalf of families and communities in Maine and across the United States."

Senator King's letter also discussed how increased funding for programs and initiatives like Maine Healthy Communities, Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) will be balanced by significant savings in the long run through decreases in emergency care and long-term treatment, as well as a reduction in crime associated with heroin use and distribution. The most significant savings however, is that of saving valuable young lives and saving families and communities the pain of watching people struggle with opioid dependence and so often dying.

Senator King's letter also outlines the tragic story of Michael Fielders, of Eliot, Maine, who died of a suspected heroin overdose in November while waiting for treatment. Michael's parents have been vocal about addressing the opioid crisis in Maine.

"Mike was trying very hard to get sober and was hopeful after his 72 hours detox that he had finally secured a bed, only to hear that he was now fifth on the waiting list," said Cynthia Fielders, Michael's mother. "How do you tell someone who has made the decision to get clean, hold on and wait?"

"Making the decision to "try' heroin for the first time was the only time it was a choice, after that heroin takes you." said Michael Fielders, Michael's father.

In November, Senator King convened a roundtable discussion in Portland that focused on how the federal government can help mitigate the use of prescription painkillers as a gateway to addiction. At the roundtable, Senator King introduced a new federal proposal that would help people across the country more safely and quickly dispose of excess prescription drugs and announced his support for bipartisan legislation that would expand specialized treatment for prescription drug and heroin addiction. The Portland roundtable followed an initial roundtable discussion in Brewer this August with National Drug Control Policy Director Michael Botticelli.

Source