[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 153 (Tuesday, October 20, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H7013]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HEROIN TASK FORCE AND STOP ABUSE ACT

  (Mr. GUINTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the new members of the 
bipartisan task force to combat the heroin epidemic. We introduced our 
first piece of legislation, the Stop Abuse Act, this month.
  Heroin abuse in the United States has reached unprecedented levels, 
increasing 63 percent over the last decade. This addictive and 
dangerous drug has torn a path through every community, destroying 
families and ruining lives.
  In my home State of New Hampshire, the number of patients admitted to 
the State-funded treatment programs reached over 1,500 in 2013, 
doubling the number from 2004.
  Nationwide, in 2014, heroin abuse was responsible for nearly 8,200 
deaths. In just 10 years, the number of addicts has doubled to over 
500,000.
  To address this health crisis, we must expand coordination between 
local, State, and Federal governments, law enforcement agencies, and 
medical professionals. We must assemble the best ideas from experts 
around the country, which is why Congresswoman Ann Kuster and I formed 
the bipartisan task force. We are doing everything possible to raise 
awareness, increase education, and hear from families and individuals 
affected by the spread of heroin.
  I urge my colleagues to join our effort so we can stop this epidemic.

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