Senator Hassan Statement on White House Report on Economic Impact of Opioid Epidemic
WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan released the following statement today following a report from the White House finding that the opioid epidemic cost the economy more than $500 billion in 2015:
“The White House report on the staggering economic impact of the opioid epidemic underscores the urgent need for increased federal funding to strengthen prevention, treatment, recovery, and law enforcement efforts to combat this horrific crisis that’s devastating families and communities in New Hampshire and across the United States. We know what we need to do in order to help save lives and stem the tide of this deadly epidemic. Now, we need President Trump and his Administration to support our call for at least an additional $45 billion to combat this crisis and help us get more funding to the hardest-hit states across the country like New Hampshire. This fight is far from over, and I will continue working every day to help combat this epidemic that’s ravaging our communities and taking a significant toll on our economy.”
As part of her efforts to combat the fentanyl, heroin, and opioid epidemic, Senator Hassan helped introduce the Combating the Opioid Epidemic Act to invest $45 billion for prevention, detection, surveillance, and treatment of opioids. Senator Hassan also joined Senator Shaheen in introducing the bipartisan Targeted Opioid Formula Act to prioritize federal funding for states that have been hardest hit by the opioid epidemic when allocating State Targeted Response Opioid Crisis Grants from the 21st Century Cures Act.
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