Issue Position: Opioids and Substance Abuse

Issue Position

I BELIEVE we are losing too many of our loved ones to the opioid epidemic, and it has to stop.

The numbers from 2016 are staggering: 63 overdose deaths in Lowell, 46 in Lawrence, 36 in Haverhill, 14 in Methuen. The list goes on; we all know someone whose life has been impacted by substance misuse, if not our own. Massachusetts is making progress -- setting prescription drug limits, doubling down on both prescriber education and general drug abuse awareness and education, putting more dollars into treatment facilities and supporting pathways to recovery. For the first time in many years, overdose deaths are trending down. But our work is not yet done; we must enact legislation to standardize and modernize our recovery and support systems, to avoid great disparities in the level of care available.

We need more action from Washington. Congress needs to step up and provide federal dollars to support prevention, treatment and transitional programs. I will do everything I can to make sure we are using federal levers to halt an epidemic that is taking too many of our loved ones.

I will also fight to destigmatize substance use disorder treatment. Too often, those who need help dealing with substance misuse are too embarrassed to ask for it, or else are afraid of the consequences to their life if they do. We must create a supportive, healthy attitude about recovery and encourage those struggling with addiction to take charge of their health and well-being.

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