Shaheen Continues Fight Against Prescription Drug Addiction in New Hampshire

Press Release

In a continued effort to combat prescription drug addiction and abuse in New Hampshire, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) today urged Senate appropriators to provide strong funding for the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and the National All-Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting (NASPER) program that monitor prescription drugs and prevent abuse. Heroin and prescription drug addiction has reached epidemic proportions in New Hampshire, and according to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, the number of people admitted to state treatment programs for prescription drug use increased 500 percent over the last 10 years.

"There is a growing prescription drug epidemic in New Hampshire and throughout the United States," said Shaheen. "The Harold Rogers and NASPER programs are vital to the federal response to this crisis."

The Harold Rogers program and NASPER provide support to already existing state prescription drug monitoring programs and bolster their ability to operate effectively and efficiently. These programs help monitor prescription drugs, provide information to health care providers and offer educational outreach.

"Opioid and narcotic prescription abuse has reached epidemic proportions, and we must combat this problem on all fronts, including providing states with robust resources through the Harold Rogers and NASPER programs to implement, expand and coordinate prescription drug monitoring efforts," Shaheen added.

Shaheen has made stemming the spread of prescription drug and opioid abuse in New Hampshire a top priority. In the past month, Shaheen has held two roundtables with law enforcement representatives and public health experts in New Hampshire to discuss ways to combat the state's growing problem. She has also called on Attorney General Eric Holder to collaborate with state and local law enforcement to comprehensively prevent and address heroin and prescription drug addiction within New Hampshire communities. Today's letter follows another sent by Shaheen last month calling for investment and support for programs to assist local law enforcement and health care providers address prescription drug and heroin abuse.

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