WASHINGTON, DC – Combating the opioid crisis remains a top priority for Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) who has been raising awareness about the epidemic and discussing the House’s recent passage of critical legislation to help stem the tide.
Rep. Brooks recently led a roundtable discussion where she spoke about the critical legislation recently passed by the House to combat this scourge, as well as pledged to continue her efforts to stem the tide.
Rep. Brooks discussed the dozens of bills which were incorporated into the House passed H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act which “work on everything from giving more tools to fight fentanyl coming into the country, and more funding for treatment and educating providers,” said Rep. Brooks.
“We got to make sure we have more treatment beds, specialists, help them fight this disease,” Rep. Brooks told WPTA TV. “This crisis takes over not just physically, but the brain and we really need to have a holistic approach to this.”
To learn more about Energy and Commerce’s comprehensive efforts to combat the opioid crisis, click here. To learn more about the House’s comprehensive efforts to combat the opioid crisis, click here.
Brooks: Substance abuse impacting labor force
The drug and opioid addiction epidemic is impacting the nation’s labor force, Rep. Susan Brooks said during a visit to Pendleton.
Brooks, R-5th District, visited several businesses in Pendleton and was interviewed by The Herald Bulletin Thursday at The Bank.
She said dealing with the issue of drug abuse has been a priority since her election to the U.S. House in 2012 because of her past experience in the criminal justice system as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana from 2001 through 2007.
“I’ve seen addiction issues throughout my career,” Brooks said, “but what is different since I first was elected is we’ve seen the overdose deaths continue to rise.
“We haven’t turned the corner,” she added. “That’s why federal, state and local task forces and providers have to work together on this.”
Brooks said there are more job openings currently than the people on the unemployment rolls.
“We need to make sure people remain drug free or get the treatment they need so they don’t lose those jobs,” she said. “A lot of employers are stepping up and helping their employees through substance abuse counseling by providing it or connecting them to programs.
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“The numbers the (Centers for Disease Control) give is an average of 115 people are overdosing every day,” Brooks said. “I believe those numbers are probably much higher. There is a lot of work being done. The House has sent more than 50 bills to the Senate to work on everything from giving more tools to fight fentanyl coming into the country, and more funding for treatment and educating providers.”
Brooks said one of her goals is to make sure Poison Control Centers are adequately funded as a result of the large numbers of calls being received concerning overdoses.
“We need to continue to come together and tackle this,” she said of the substance abuse epidemic.
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Read the full article online HERE.
Roundtable discusses “complex issue” of opioid epidemic
Experts say opioid addiction at the local, state and national level isn’t slowing down, but neither are efforts to curb the epidemic and help those suffering from addiction.
Lawmakers, healthcare specialists and law enforcement officials gathered in Fort Wayne Monday morning to discuss what they call a very complex issue.
Congressman Banks at the roundtable. Banks said the House has been busy working on combating the opioid crisis and finding ways to leverage federal funding and resources on the federal levels to support the state and local efforts.
ABC21 also spoke with Congresswoman Susan Brooks who tells us at the Indiana statehouse, 60 bills focused on opioid epidemic were just passed out of the House and are now in the Senate.
The bills focus on everything from prevention, changes in prescriptions, and helping law enforcement get dangerous drugs off the streets. However, Brooks says more bills must be focused on treatment.
“We got to make sure we have more treatment beds, specialists, help them fight this disease,” Brooks said.” This crisis takes over not just physically, but the brain and we really need to have a holistic approach to this.”
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Read the full article online HERE.
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