Commending Dennis Heindl for Work in Combating Opioid Epidemic

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, thousands of Americans lose their lives every year across communities of all sizes to a terrible epidemic, and that is an epidemic of substance abuse that steals lives, that steals futures, and that tears apart families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the efforts of a constituent of mine, Dennis Heindl, who lives in Elk County, located in Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District. Mr. Heindl is the owner of Laurel Media, based in Ridgway. After seeing the effects of the opioid abuse and heroin epidemic affecting our Nation, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and areas such as Elk County, Dennis was compelled to act.

He set up a telephone hotline in an effort to fight back against drug use in communities across the region. The hotline is anonymous, strictly confidential, and is being administered by the North Central Pennsylvania Municipal Drug Task Force. Mr. Heindl is offering a $1,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest or conviction of any individual who sells or distributes illegal or prescription drugs.

In addition to the hotline, Mr. Heindl is organizing a series of anti-drug meetings across the area. In fact, the latest meeting in the community of Ridgway drew a crowd of nearly 300 people all interested in taking their town back from this horrible epidemic.

Just like in so many other areas of our Nation, communities across Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District have suffered as a result of this drug epidemic. Elk County is ranked ninth in Pennsylvania in overdose deaths per population of 100,000 people while, further west, Crawford County has seen its overdose deaths double in the past 4 years.

Now, I am so proud of the efforts of the people such as Dennis Heindl and all those across the Fifth Congressional District who are helping in the efforts to fight back against drugs.

I am also proud of the package passed recently in this House, which will make grant funding available to States and local governments for the creation of opioid reduction programs, creates a task force to review prescribing practices, and cares for babies who are born opioid addicted and dependent.

If we all work together, I know that we can win this battle.

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