[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 99 (Thursday, June 14, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H5162]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      OUR NATION'S OPIOID EPIDEMIC

  (Mrs. HARTZLER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the work 
the House is doing to address the opioid epidemic sweeping our Nation.
  Sadly, in 2016, our Nation lost more people to overdose deaths than 
were lost during the entire Vietnam war. One of those lives lost was 
Samantha Huntley, whose picture I have here.
  Samantha was an outgoing cheerleader at Kickapoo High School in 
Springfield, Missouri. When she was 16, she was in a car wreck and 
broke her back. Her doctor prescribed opioids to deal with the pain, 
and when they ran out, Sam turned to heroin.
  At age 18, she confessed to her mom she needed help, but she was 
never able to beat her addiction. Tragically, Sam succumbed to an 
overdose last year, at age 20.
  This epidemic must not take any more of our young people. That is why 
we are passing over 70 bills this week to address this crisis. Now is 
the time to prevent other tragedies so beautiful, amazing youth like 
Samantha can live.

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