Ayotte: Bipartisan Addiction Bill Passage a Matter of 'Life and Death'

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) will be a "significant step forward" in the federal government's response to the nation's opioid epidemic, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a lead sponsor of the bipartisan legislation, said Saturday.

"For the past few years, I’ve been working to bring attention to the heroin and prescription opioid abuse epidemic that is impacting my state and communities nationwide," the New Hampshire Republican said in this week's GOP address. "CARA will be a significant step forward in the federal response to this epidemic and will support local efforts to tackle this problem."

The pending legislation provides additional support to first responders and law enforcement officials, including expanding availability of the drug overdose reversal tool, Narcan, said Ayotte. Further, it will strengthen prescription drug monitoring programs that help prevent doctor shopping and expand drug take-back sites promoting safe disposal of unused or unwanted prescription drugs.

Ayotte said she first helped introduce the act two years ago, and it has broad support from both Republicans and Democrats, as it will be "a significant step forward in the federal response to this epidemic and will support local efforts to tackle this problem."

The law would also increase access to addiction treatment, expand prevention and education efforts, and bring awareness to the connection between prescription painkillers and heroin use, said Ayotte, noting that the legislation has strong support from several law enforcement agencies and more than 130 stakeholder groups.

"This is a life or death issue," Ayotte said. "In 2015, four hundred twenty New Hampshire residents lost their lives to a drug overdose — more than the number of people killed in traffic accidents. In February alone, there were 14 suspected opioid overdose deaths in Manchester—a record high in our state's largest city."

There are similar trends in West Virginia, Ohio, and across the country, she said, and "behind every statistic and behind every headline is a life that has been lost."

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