NH Delegation to Canada: Help Us Fight Drug Abuse

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Sens. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH, and Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH and U.S. Reps. Frank Guinta, R-NH, and Ann McLane Kuster, D-NH, along with a bipartisan group of members from both chambers of Congress, asked Canada’s Minister of Health Dr. Jane Philpott to help fight prescription drug abuse in both countries by limiting the availability of non-abuse deterrent opioids on March 7, 2016,, including oxycodone pain relievers.

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Their letter comes as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to visit the United States this week, according to a press statement. The letter was also signed by a number of other Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate.

Read the full letter and press statement online here

“In our states and in Canada, prescription drug abuse is negatively impacting the quality of life of millions of citizens, costing lives, and presenting significant challenges to our first responders and law enforcement officials,” the lawmakers wrote. “It is concerning to us that, as you know, Canada still permits the manufacture and sale of non-abuse deterrent formulations of oxycodone pain relievers, and these drugs continue to find their way across the border to every region and almost every state in the United States.”

“It is our strong belief that you now have an excellent opportunity to address this urgent matter by proposing a more robust series of measures than those that were contemplated in the original regulatory package. To that end we respectfully urge you to consider accelerating the timetable for the removal of non-abuse deterrent formulations of oxycodone pain relievers from the Canadian marketplace.”