Senator McConnell Comments on White House Heroin and Prescription Drugs Summit

Statement

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following comments regarding the Summit on Heroin and Prescription Drugs: Federal, State, and Community Responses hosted by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP):

"I was very pleased to see that the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy will hold a summit today on the dangers posed by heroin and the abuse of prescription drugs in our communities. This is a problem I know all of my colleagues have to deal with, and the great Commonwealth that I am proud to represent is not immune to the challenges posed by this epidemic.

"In the Bluegrass State, the epicenter of our heroin problem is located in the northern region of the Commonwealth, across the river from Cincinnati, although I am hearing from more and more constituents all over the Commonwealth that heroin abuse is on the rise. In the streets of northern Kentucky, heroin sells for as little as $10 a bag. As many drug abusers look for a cheaper high than prescription pills, heroin has surged in recent years as the drug of choice.

"The three counties commonly referred to as northern Kentucky contained 60 percent of the state's heroin prosecutions in 2011--even though they are home to less than 10 percent of the state's population.

"The number of overdose cases at the region's largest hospital increased by more than 75 percent in 2012, while the number of heroin overdose cases by just August of 2013 had already doubled the number in all of 2012.

"Rates of acute Hepatitis C infections in northern Kentucky are double the statewide rate and 24 times the national rate--I repeat, 24 times the national rate. Public health officials attribute the region's high infection rate to the region's high level of heroin use.

"Even the smallest among us are not spared from this scourge. Sadly, newborn babies are born with drug withdrawal syndrome. Each case is heartbreaking, and is not only costly in human terms but fiscally, incurring an average hospitalization cost of over $14,000.

"Because the heroin problem in northern Kentucky is so acute, earlier this year I convened a listening session in northern Kentucky to hear from those closest to the problem how federal resources could best be devoted to fixing it.

"I heard from informed Kentuckians in the medical, public-health, and law-enforcement fields and the business community. I even heard from one very brave young man who had been ensnared by heroin, saw his friends overdose, and managed to break his addiction.

"I can't stress enough how helpful it was to hear about this issue from so many thoughtful perspectives. That's why I welcome the discussion that will ensue at the Office of National Drug Control Policy summit today. The scourge of heroin abuse respects neither state boundaries nor political party lines--so it must be up to all of us to stop it.

"We must use federal resources to combat this epidemic in the most efficient and effective way possible. One program I have been proud to support that provides funding to local communities to create educational programs and raise awareness about the dangers of substance abuse is the Drug Free Communities Program. I am proud to support counties in Kentucky that have received Drug Free Community grants, such as Carter County.

"One of the most salient points I have learned from studying the heroin abuse issue is that multi-jurisdictional and multi-agency law-enforcement efforts, such as the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, or HIDTA, are crucial to our success. In this era of finite federal resources, we must use these interagency partnerships to the best extent to maximize our return from the federal dollars we spend to combat this epidemic.

"My friend Frank Rapier, the executive director of Appalachia HIDTA, never fails to remind his law-enforcement partners that, quote, "there's no limit to what we can accomplish when no one cares who gets the credit.' He is exactly right. I think we must adopt his attitude at all levels of government to truly crack this problem. In fact, Frank will be attending today's ONDCP summit, and I'm glad he'll be there to share Kentucky's perspective.

"Heroin is deadly, and it is dangerously addictive. It is estimated that about 23 percent of individuals who try heroin just once will become dependent on it. That's a shockingly high rate of addiction.

"As the father of three daughters myself, I urge parents in Kentucky and across the country to be aware of the scope of the heroin problem. Know the warning signs that a loved one may be using the drug. Know how to get them help.

"It will take all of us--the medical and public health communities, law enforcement, legislators, the executive branch, and concerned parents and citizens--to truly fight back against the epidemic of heroin addiction. But working together, I believe we can defeat it."

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