[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 194 (Thursday, December 5, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H9259-H9260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 STEMMING THE TIDE OF OPIOID OVERDOSES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, while still more work needs 
to be done to confront our Nation's challenges with opioids, I am 
pleased to report that my home State of North Carolina is working to 
stem the tide and has witnessed a drop in opioid overdoses.
  In my district, Surry County and its healthcare professionals, first 
responders, and addiction counselors deserve recognition as 
contributing to the county witnessing a drop of over 75 percent in 
opioid-related emergency room visits within the last year.
  This comes as we implement one of the most significant bills that 
Congress passed last year, the comprehensive SUPPORT for Patients and 
Communities Act.
  I helped introduce that legislation with bipartisan colleagues, and I 
am glad to report that the bill is achieving its goal in stemming the 
tide of addiction by improving prevention and public health efforts, 
enhancing treatment and recovery programs, and providing communities 
more tools in their fight.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, more work needs to be done to confront our 
Nation's

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challenges with opioids, but Congress laid the groundwork for this work 
to be done at the State and local level with the passage of the SUPPORT 
for Patients and Communities Act.

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