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Emmer Leads Letter Urging Safe Opioid Disposal

Statement

By: Tom Emmer
By: Tom Emmer
Date: June 28, 2022
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care

This week, Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) sent a bipartisan letter urging Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf to strengthen the FDA's recent proposed rule on opioid disposal.

Emmer said, "Opioid addiction has ravaged communities and stolen too many American lives. Last year, drug overdoses hit an all-time high. Tragically, many of these addictions were triggered by the contents of a home medicine cabinet."

"Safe opioid disposal saves lives by cutting off a key source of dangerous drugs before they can end up in the wrong hands. We must ensure that the FDA is recommending the safest and most effective methods of disposal to households across America," Emmer concluded.

Specifically, the FDA's proposal requires that all opioid prescriptions be discarded using a mail-back envelope. This rule includes possible oversights in accessibility for rural and tribal communities--two groups with acute opioid concerns. Additionally, the FDA's proposal fails to address rising mail theft.


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