Substance Use-Disorder Prevention That Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to improve research and public awareness of opioid use during pregnancy. I introduced the POPPY Study Act earlier this year to address this issue, and I am pleased that it is being considered here today in this form.

We all know the opioid epidemic has widespread and devastating effects. Nearly all of us know someone who has been affected by the crisis, and many of us have grieved through the heartbreak of losing loved ones to addiction.

Sadly, the impact this has had on Utah has been overwhelming. In my State, six Utahns die every week as a result of the opioid overdose, and we rank among the highest in the Nation for drug overdose deaths. Areas of my district have some of the highest rates of opioid prescriptions dispensed nationwide.

Tragically, Utah also leads out in prescribing the most opioids to pregnant women. Across the Nation, 1 in 5 women receive an opioid prescription during pregnancy but, in Utah, that number is doubled.

Of course, opioid use during pregnancy can have dramatic consequences for a mother and her unborn child. Neonatal abstinence syndrome presents itself as babies go through withdrawal, constant screaming, shaking, vomiting, and difficulty sleeping and eating.

This condition often requires long and expensive hospitalization. For Medicaid-covered babies, this syndrome costs more than $460 million in 2014 alone.

Tragically, from 2004 to 2014, the rate of infants diagnosed with opioid withdrawal symptoms increased more than 400 percent nationwide.

Across the Nation, women have been disproportionately impacted by the opioid epidemic, and little is known about the effect this has had on pregnant women.

Healthcare experts, providers, and patients agree there is simply too much we don't know about why pregnant women are being prescribed opioids and what possible alternatives might provide better healthcare outcomes for mothers and their unborn children.

My amendment calls for increased research on current opioid prescribing practices during pregnancy, more data on prescription opioid misuse during pregnancy, and evaluates and encourages nonopioid pain management therapies that are safe and effective during pregnancy.

I am proud of the work we have done here to curb the opioid epidemic, and I applaud the chairman, ranking member, and members of the committee for the work they have done to fight this crisis.

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Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana and the chairman for their speaking out in support of this important bill.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment is essential in helping us improve our understanding of the impact of using opioid prescription during pregnancy and, ultimately, preventing opioid use disorder entirely. It is vital that we have sound and accurate research to guide us in the best ways to help pregnant women suffering from addiction.

Mr. Chairman, this is a critical amendment. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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