[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 144 (Thursday, September 22, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H5808]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         OPIOID ADDICTION WEEK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. Jenkins) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, opioid and drug addiction 
are wreaking havoc in communities and States across the Nation. 
Hospitals and first responders are stretched to the limit. Families and 
friends are trying to get their loved ones the help they so desperately 
need.
  The disease of addiction has become all too common in our States and 
in our neighborhoods, but it is still hidden behind a stigma, a fear of 
asking for help. That is why we are marking this week as Prescription 
Drug and Opioid Epidemic Awareness Week, to spread the word and to 
encourage those struggling with addiction to get the help that they 
need. My district in West Virginia has some of the highest drug 
overdose rates in the Nation, but I want to highlight how our cities 
and counties are fighting back.
  On August 15, my hometown of Huntington faced a true crisis as call 
after call came in of people who had overdosed on heroin. It has become 
far too common in Huntington for first responders to go out on a few 
calls a day for people who have overdosed, but this August day was 
unlike any other. Within a few hours, 28 people overdosed, likely from 
just one batch of heroin--28 people in 5 hours in a city of less than 
50,000 people.
  Our first responders--EMTs and police--carry an opioid-reversing drug 
and rushed to their aid. Time and time again, they brought people back 
from the brink of death. Without the tireless work of the first 
responders and our healthcare workers, Huntington would have lost many 
more lives.
  Possibly the most victimized of all the victims of the drug crisis is 
a newborn baby having to suffer through withdrawal after birth from 
exposure to drugs during pregnancy. Along with a group of passionate 
healthcare professionals and community leaders, a facility called 
Lily's Place was opened. For more than a year now, over 100 newborn 
babies have received the care they need to get through the effects of 
withdrawal.
  Another story of a community coming together to combat the drug 
crisis is from Mercer County. Mercer County Fellowship Home focuses on 
treating men suffering from substance abuse, working to make them 
productive members of society again. A current resident said that, 
thanks to the help he received there, he now has the confidence to stay 
employed and to further his education.
  The director of Mercer County Fellowship, Jim McClanahan, said it 
best when he told me:

       Opiates are ruining and taking lives. We are giving them 
     opportunities so that no one person or family has to continue 
     living life scared and feeling as if they don't count or 
     matter.

  Centers like the Mercer County Fellowship Home offer those addicted 
to drugs and opioids a chance to change their lives and their 
communities.
  These are just three examples of how our cities and towns are making 
a difference. Sometimes it is our first responders saving lives of 
those who have overdosed, giving them an opportunity to get the help 
they need, or a caring group of healthcare professionals and community 
leaders developing a new model of care so drug-exposed babies can have 
the best chance at a healthy start in life. Other times the help comes 
in the form of a welcoming group of people who are committed to 
recovery.
  We can stop the opioid epidemic and heal our cities, our towns, and 
our States. In these tough times, we must come together and find 
solutions. Here in the House, we have shown what we can do working 
together. We passed CARA with overwhelming bipartisan support.
  There is hope in West Virginia, and there is hope in the United 
States. There is help available for those in need. Together, we can 
make a difference.

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