From the office of U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski:
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today participated in a hearing entitled Opioid Abuse in America: Facing the Epidemic and Examining Solutions. This is the second in a series of three bipartisan hearings that will focus on mental health and substance abuse. Prior to her testimony before the Committee, Senator Mikulski introduced Baltimore City Health Commissioner Leana Wen, M.D.
“Last year in Maryland, we had 578 heroin-related deaths, more than 25 percent higher than the previous year, and more than double the total in 2010. Last year in Baltimore City, 303 people died from drug and alcohol overdose. More Americans now die from drug overdoses than from car accidents. This is a very real problem in every corner of my state,” Senator Mikulski said. “This is a problem that demands immediate attention and a comprehensive response. It won’t be solved just by the federal government or just by local governments. We must come together and devise a multi-pronged solution working with federal, state and local governments, as well as allies in the public and private sector.”
The panel of witnesses testifying during the hearing included Leana Wen, M.D., Baltimore City Health Commissioner; Robert Valuck, Ph.D., Professor at the School of Pharmacy at the University of Colorado; and Eric Spofford, Chief Executive Officer of Granite House, a sober living environment for men.
Senator Mikulski has continued to fight against heroin addiction in Maryland and across America. As then-Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she fought to secure $441 million in federal funds in the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 for anti-heroin activities at the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services and at the White House. These federal dollars were used to fund grants to states and local law enforcement to investigate and arrest those selling heroin and illegal prescription drugs and reduce drug trafficking. It provided funds to states for prescription drug monitoring programs, so states can better monitor and track those offenders who are doctor shopping or otherwise abusing prescription drugs. It also ensured states got the money they need to expand medication-assisted treatment and purchase Naloxone, which saves lives by rapidly reversing the effects of a heroin overdose.
As Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Mikulski is continuing to fight for adequate funding in fiscal year (FY) 2016 funding legislation.
Senator Mikulski’s full remarks, as prepared, follow:
“I wish we didn’t have to be here today. I wish we didn’t have a persistent and growing drug epidemic in this country – one that is ravaging our communities and killing our young people. But here we are. I commend Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray for convening this important hearing.
“More Americans now die from drug overdoses than from car accidents. Prescription opioid painkillers like hydrocodone, oxycodone, codeine, morphine and methadone are increasingly to blame for overdose deaths. Every day 46 Americans die from prescription opioid overdoses. That’s two deaths an hour – 17,000 annually. Heroin, an illegal opioid, is increasingly to blame. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, about 8,200 Americans die annually from heroin overdoses.
“Last year in Maryland, we had 578 heroin-related deaths, more than 25 percent higher than the previous year and more than double the total in 2010. Last year in Baltimore City, 303 people died from drug and alcohol overdoses. That’s more than the number of people who died from homicide. In Baltimore today, we have approximately 19,000 active heroin users and many more who are abusing prescription opioid medications.
“This is a very real problem in every corner of my state. When I went around and met with Maryland’s County Executives, every single one of them talked to me about heroin and opioid abuse. It didn’t matter if they were Republican or Democrat, from an urban or rural part of Maryland, or from Southern Maryland or the Eastern shore. This is a problem across Maryland and across the county.
“That is why I have fought very hard as Chairwoman and Vice-Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee to get funding in the federal checkbook to help combat this epidemic. In the FY 2015 Omnibus, I was able to get $441 million for anti-heroin activities at the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services and at the White House.
“The money we secured in the FY 2015 Omnibus gave grants to states and local law enforcement to investigate and arrest those selling heroin and illegal prescription drugs and reduce drug trafficking. It provided funds to states for prescription drug monitoring programs so states can better monitor and track those offenders who are doctor shopping or otherwise abusing prescription drugs. It ensured states got the money they need to expand medication-assisted treatment and purchase Naloxone, which saves lives by rapidly reversing the effects of a heroin overdose.
“I am continuing to fight alongside many people here today to ensure adequate funding for these programs in the FY 2016 Omnibus.
“This is a problem that demands immediate attention and a comprehensive response. It won’t be solved just by the federal government or just by local governments. We must come together and devise a multi-pronged
solution working with federal, state and local governm ents, as well as allies in the public and private sector.
“I look forward to hearing from the witnesses today. I want to hear from them about what’s working and what isn’t. I want to hear about what states and localities are doing – I know Baltimore City has a number of initiatives underway. I want to hear their ideas for how the federal government can be a better partner in these efforts.
“I look forward to hearing from our witnesses. I know we all share the same goal. We simply have to stem this tide. We must do more and we must do better to reduce drug abuse, to help those struggling with addiction, to keep heroin out of the hands of our children and to stop those who are trafficking and selling these dangerous drugs. We have to do better to train and equip those on the front lines – our doctors, our pharmacists, our first responders and our law enforcement personnel.
“With that, it is my great pleasure to introduce Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore City’s Health Commissioner. Since January 2015, Dr. Wen has been responsible for heading up the Baltimore City Health Department, an agency dedicated to promoting health and improving well-being. In this role, she has led implementation of Baltimore City’s opioid overdose and prevention and response plan, which includes street outreach teams to target individuals most at risk, training new police officers and lay people on Naloxone use, and launching a new public education campaign.
“She has not had an easy job. She directed the city’s public health recovery efforts in the wake of Baltimore’s civil unrest after the death of Freddie Gray. For that, the city and I are extremely grateful. Dr. Wen is a board-certified emergency physician and a Rhodes Scholar who has served as a consultant with both the World Health Organization and the Brookings Institute.
“Baltimore City is lucky to have Dr. Wen, and I’m so pleased she’s here today to inform the HELP Committee about the efforts underway in Baltimore City to combat this opioid and heroin epidemic.”
How about giving a 25 year sentence without parole to anyone found guilty of dealing. instead they get a slap on the wrist and sent on their way to deal again. Fixing the drug problem should not be that difficult, Harsh sentences will fix a lot of the problems. How about this, anyone found supplying dope that causes a overdose death receives the death penalty,
How about giving a 25 year sentence without parole to anyone who is using? If there is no market then there will be no reason to supply.
Where have you been for the past twenty years you idiot? “Tough on crime” sentencing has really done a great job of fixing the drug problem. Read a book sometime. Mandatory minimums, three strikes you’re out, all of that crap that you lemmings LOVE to vote for, it all does literally zero to stop the drug problem and it ramps up the prison population, which costs YOU and ME money. That isn’t a theory or my opinion, that is FACT.
Duh, It is clear that You are the idiot, to many times plea deals come into play so “Tough on crime” sentencing are just guidelines that give too much flexibility to the state. Take away the pleas, Mandatory means Mandatory. Now, why don’t you go read a book, Start with Green eggs and ham, that’s more your speed simp.
The drug problem is a simple matter of supply and demand. If the demand is there, some one will step in to meet it. Attempting to control the demand by blocking the supply only increases the risk which forcing the price to go higher. As long as there is a demand, someone some where will risk the consequences as long as price of the commodity justifies the risk. The only real solution is to eliminate the demand. Where there is no demand, there is no profit in supplying and the bottom falls out of the market. End of the problem. Do you know any addict who does not wish they had never taken that first dose?
Oh okay, supply and demand. That solves it. LOL!!!!
There has been no significant decrease in recreational drug use as a result of the governments attempt to stop it. The only result of spending all this tax money has been an increase in the money required to house all the risk takers that crapped out. Don’t you think it is time to find another solution?
Certainly not, it keeps a lot of people employed.
You don’t think the cure for cancer will ever actually happen, right?
Maybe if we weren’t spending so much money on antiquated drug programs, there might be more money available for research on a solution for cancer.
Hay Babs,,,,,what about “GUNS”????? thought that was NoBamas talking point???????Your slipping in you old age… 🙂
Drug addiction will forever be a problem unless each individual accesses the risks of putting these substances in their body BEFORE they are exposed to them in a social situation. It is good that government is addressing this problem. However I believe more good would come out of early and continuing education in homes and schools and every form of advertising that exposes the final outcome of personal drug use.
I understand the passion to finally solve something. Take diabetes, if there was a pill to make your pancreas work again, millions and millions of dollars wouldn’t be spent by patients anymore on medical supplies, thousands of people would lose their job.
Its not tinfoil conspiracy, the work must go on because that’s what the living do.
lots of drugs in fallston high school
How about starting there