[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H588]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  ADDICTION CRISIS IN EVERY COMMUNITY

  (Mr. PAPPAS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the addiction crisis 
that continues to impact just about every community and every family 
across this country.
  Many of us have lost neighbors, friends, and loved ones. Despite 
significant efforts at all levels of government, recent statistics show 
the problem is worsening.
  My hometown of Manchester saw a 22 percent increase in opioid-related 
overdoses last year and a 41 percent increase in opioid-related deaths. 
We must do more to confront this crisis to support those who are 
suffering from substance use disorder and to stop the trafficking of 
fentanyl and its analogues.
  These substances, which authorities are now finding in nearly all 
illicit drugs, have only made this crisis more and more deadly.
  That is why last week, alongside Representatives   Dan Newhouse and 
Tony Gonzales, I reintroduced the Save Americans from the Fentanyl 
Emergency Act. Our bill would permanently schedule all fentanyl-related 
substances as Schedule I drugs. This would ensure that law enforcement 
retains an important tool to get these deadly drugs off the streets and 
hold traffickers accountable. It will help save lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan 
legislation.

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