Posted on 05/14/2016 7:52:46 AM PDT by Kaslin
Nearly every 12 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies of a drug overdose. People in communities across America are abusing both prescription pain killers and heroin. It is an epidemic. No one is immune; it is a sad reality that is playing out across the country, including in my own district in Southwest Michigan.
There were 13 suspected overdoses in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in the first quarter of 2013, up from 9 in the first quarter of 2012. Behind these numbers are real folks, and their families, suffering. In 2008, we lost Amy Bousfield, an 18 year-old graduate of Portage Central High School. In 2012, Marissa King died at 21 years of age. She began using heroin in 2009, despite having lost two friends to the drug - one of them being Amy Bousfield.
This crisis does not discriminate between large and small, urban and rural, rich and poor. A recent study from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that one in five Americans say they have a family member who's been addicted to prescription painkillers.
It's a frightening prospect, and we must face the opioid epidemic head on. House Republicans are committed to doing just that, working to advance meaningful legislation to combat this scourge.
At the Energy and Commerce Committee, which I chair, we've held a number of hearings over the last year with testimony from many experts on the frontlines. What we've learned has been eye opening. Federal policies toward opioid addiction in the past have often overemphasized a one-size-fits all law enforcement approach. It's clear through our listening sessions that this is a public health crisis, and that our strategy should reflect the complex dynamic between public health and criminal activity. We now know we cannot simply arrest our way out of this epidemic.
So we've worked to advance bipartisan solutions that address this public health crisis. From helping newborns who are born into addiction, and promoting state prescription drug monitoring programs. Additionally, just last month we passed 11 more bipartisan bills to address this crisis that are now ready for consideration by the full House of Representatives.
Our work will continue. We owe this effort to the past, present, and sadly, future victims of the opioid epidemic - our neighbors, friends, and family, across every part of the country and every demographic group. We owe it to the families of Amy Bousfield and Marissa King. We owe it to all of those in our communities who are suffering from addiction.
I agree with your statements. Government can only make this train wreck worse.
Assign some William Burroughs to freshmen in high school. Let them learn that if you start doing this, pretty soon you will be doing things to men for money in bus station bathrooms, and maybe they will think twice about it.
And 92 people die every day in car crashes. Perhaps they'll ban cars too.
Suffering is noble as long as someone else has to do it.
I have no answers, other than I lived through it with a Nephew (who died of a heroin overdose) and a Step-Son who is now 5 years clean and sober (still don’t trust him, though) and a LOSER Ex-husband who will eventually be living under a bridge. (Opioid addiction post-surgery 10 YEARS ago; legal prescriptions, eats them like candy, losing his teeth now, etc.)
The ‘victims’ aren’t the only victims...everyone pays, either directly or indirectly for drug issues.
(Not looking for sympathy; it is what it is and you deal with what life hands you.)
Lies.
we've held a number of hearings over the last year with testimony from many experts on the frontlines. What we've learned has been eye opening. Federal policies toward opioid addiction in the past have often overemphasized a one-size-fits all law enforcement approach. It's clear through our listening sessions that this is a public health crisis, and that our strategy should reflect the complex dynamic between public health and criminal activity.
More lies.
We now know we cannot simply arrest our way out of this epidemic.
Of course you can, moron. Well, not JUST "arrest", I suppose. You have to lash the users and hang the dealers.
OR, you could spend more money on "programs". Just what we need.
My son has struggled for years with Heroin addiction and finally lucked upon a doctor who tested him for low pituitary function.
several years ago my son suffered severe brain trauma from a car accident and was in a coma for weeks.
While we were joyous at his recovery what followed has been an education
his self medicating has now been replaced with the treatment from as you would say...education. .., provided by an excellent endocrinologist. My son is now thriving and free from his own methods of dealing with his addiction
Contraband law is Tyrannical and the ridiculous, un-American justifications for its imposition are what leads to disregard for the 4th Amendment, no-knock warrants, asset forfeiture, and every other Tyrannical adjunct that we see in the modern day.
It is very difficult for folks who are proven innocent to ever get their forfeited assets returned.
The solution is a solution of a drug in large enough volume of liquid so a person can not overdose accidently.
The color of the solution should vary based on the amount of drug in solution.
Green might be a strength where an opiate naïve person could not overdose drinking all they can swallow as fast as their stomach can take in liquid.
Orange might indicate a strength dangerous for an opiate naïve person.
Red would indicate a strength lethal for an opiate-naïve person.
As the color comes closer to purple, the strength would be greater.
You would have to get a blood opiate test from a hospital to buy anything other than a green solution. This hospital test would have to be furnished by the hospital along with your address and copy of government ID to your drug supplier in order for the drug supplier to legally supply you.
You might get up to 45 two-liter bottles of solution delivered to your residence a month.
An FDA tracking system would have to be used by drug suppliers.
Can cocaine be dangerous?
Yes.
Did anyone ever die from original formula Coca-Cola?
No
Why, because it was practically impossible to consume a lethal amount because the cocaine was in solution.
“More people are killed every year by illegal aliens from Mexico than died on 9/11, yet, we wage no war with Mexico.”
East Germany made it illegal to leave East Germany.
International law now forbids countries from barring the exit of their citizens.
A Mexican has the right to leave Mexico and Mexico has no right or legal ability to stop its citizens from leaving Mexico.
However, international law does not give the Mexican the right to enter the United States.
Read in our local newspaper the other day, that addicts are taking 30-300 tablets of Imodium a day. Imodium is an opioid, it is safe when taking 1 or 2, but 30-300 a day will kill you and it has.
Hyponatremia
What's "international law"?
Who is the sovereign (the lawgiver) who passes it? Does it conflict with the phrase "All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States"?
If not, why not?
a simple thinning of the herd
In Obamas America, he gets extra credits for a class by doing that. Empathy for Plight 101 class....
“Hyponatremia”
add in some Na?
“Yeah, I’m SURE that will solve the problem...”
pretty much my same thought
Have you any spare Cabernet Sauvignon?
It would be most welcome at my place.
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