Reps. Host Roundtable on Heroin Treatment Options

WASHINGTON, DC - Following last week’s successful Special Order hour where Congressional Members joined together to highlight the importance of addressing the opioid epidemic, the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic – co-chaired by U.S. Reps. Ann McLane Kuster, D-NH, and Frank Guinta, R-NH – hosted a Congressional roundtable this afternoon to discuss treatment methods for addiction.

“All across the Granite State and the nation, families are losing loved ones to opioid use. We must take immediate action to address this devastating epidemic,” Kuster said. “I was proud to help convene today’s roundtable, which gave participants an opportunity to share their thoughts on effective treatment methods, so we can all be prepared to meet this challenge head on and provide care for those in our communities who are in need. I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for coming together for today’s roundtable, and I encourage all my colleagues in the House and the Senate to take legislative action to help put an end to the heroin epidemic once and for all. ”

Today’s roundtable brought together a variety of stakeholders, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and a representative from the Congressional Research Service, to share best practices on the most effective methods for treating addiction. Congressional Members representing districts around the country also joined the roundtable, and they will share what they learned at the event with the organizations back home that are working to fight addiction.

“Republican and Democrat members from across the country are joining us in an effort to prevent more Americans from falling victim to the plague of heroin abuse, often starting with prescription opiates and ending in death for tens of thousands,” said Guinta. “For Granite Staters who have lost hope, my colleagues and I are trying to restore it – to bring more resources to bear on a problem that will probably get worse, before it gets better.”

Kuster has prioritized efforts to address the opioid crisis across the state by convening events on substance use disorders and by prioritizing the issue at a federal level through her work in Congress. Last fall, Kuster helped introduce bipartisan legislation that addresses several aspects of combatting the growing heroin epidemic across the country, including the establishment of the Interagency Task Force on Heroin Addiction, the reauthorization of vital drug crisis grants, and the revision of treatment administration guidelines for individuals who are unable to receive take-home treatment, among other provisions.

Last week, she hosted a Special Order in the House to urge her colleagues in Congress to take action; during the Special Order, she and 10 of her colleagues shared the stories of Americans who have been affected by the crisis on the House Floor.

Since 2010, deaths due to heroin overdose have increased nearly 300 percent. The Task Force heard testimony about Methadone and Naltrexone, which can help addicts to avoid relapse, as well as psychological therapy, which can increase their chances of long-term success.

“Communities are the key to recovery,” said Rep. Guinta. “We need to do a better job communicating the dangers, intervening in the early stages of heroin abuse, and monitoring addicts’ progress.”

He introduced the STOP ABUSE Act with Kuster to strengthen local treatment, prevention and law enforcement programs. “A big part of our job on the Task Force is to collect and share information with constituents, who may need help or know someone who does. ”

At the briefing, experts from the American Psychological Association, National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services also addressed Reps. Bruce Poliquin, Jackie Walorski, Steve Knight, Elizabeth Esty, Keith Rothfus, Donald Norcross, Barbara Comstock, Ryan Costello and John Sarbanes.