Don't Cut Opioid Epidemic Funding, Gwinnett Lawmaker Says

BUFORD, GA — A Gwinnett County lawmaker is urging her federal counterparts to take opioid abuse seriously and to not cut funds aimed at treating the problem.

State Sen. Renee Unterman, a Republican from Buford, sent a letter to the office of U.S. senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue telling them that cuts to Medicaid funding would impact county and private EMS, emergency rooms and opioid treatment programs.

"Opioid abuse and confronting the epidemic is an issue that crosses state lines, cultures, ages and social classes," Unterman said. "We must work together with our colleagues on the federal level to ensure this health care crisis is addressed and necessary funding is not eliminated.

"Our goal is to mobilize state leaders in raising awareness, improving our existing therapeutic infrastructure, changing Georgia state law and appropriating matching state and federal dollars to lead the way in fighting the opioid epidemic."

Unterman's letter was sent in anticipation of the U.S. Senate voting on its version of the American Health Care Act this week.

Unterman, who chairs the Senate's Health and Human Services committee, has played an active role in efforts to mobilize metro Atlanta's northern arc counties — Gwinnett, Cobb, Hall, Forsyth and Cherokee — to combat opioid addiction in the area.

Unterman has been active on the opioid issue in the General Assembly, sponsoring multiple pieces of legislation aimed at curbing abuse of the drugs.

She will be hosting a press conference, along with Superior Court Judge Kathryn Schrader, on Friday to further bring awareness to the opioid epidemic and discuss next steps in combating it.

In Georgia, opioid abuse has been cited in dozens of deaths over recent months. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has issued a series of public health warnings about the use of furanyl fentanyl and other opioid-style drugs, which they say can cause death in even small amounts.

Photo courtesy Georgia State Senate