[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5448]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            OPIOID ADDICTION

  (Mr. RUPPERSBERGER asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge House leadership 
to take action against the scourge of opioid addiction that is plaguing 
our communities.
  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug 
overdoses now surpass car accidents as the leading cause of injury-
related death for Americans between the ages of 25 and 65.
  In Baltimore, opioid overdose has been declared a public health 
emergency. There are about 19,000 active heroin users in Baltimore 
City, and far more who abuse prescription opioids.
  But this isn't just an urban issue. I have personally heard from 
families from all walks of life throughout my district that have been 
devastated by heroin and prescription drugs. No socioeconomic level is 
safe.
  To this end, I urge leadership to move the Comprehensive Addiction 
and Recovery Act forward. Among other measures, this important 
bipartisan bill will expand the availability of naloxone to law 
enforcement agencies and other first responders to help reverse 
overdoses, expand resources to identify and treat incarcerated 
individuals suffering from addiction, and expand disposal sites for 
unused prescription medications to keep them out of the hands of young 
people.
  Only through a comprehensive approach can we stop and reverse current 
trends.

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