Earlier this year, while I talked with families from across New Hampshire on the State House lawn at our annual Easter Egg Hunt, I was approached by a woman, holding a child in her arms, who pulled me aside to share with me her painful story of loss as a result of the heroin and opioid epidemic.
The child she was carrying was not her son, but her grandson, whose mother died of an overdose just a month before. She shared her pain with me, knowing how critical it was to make her voice heard.
We’ve all heard from those who have been impacted by this crisis – families and children who have experienced terrible losses, people in recovery who are fighting to get help, and public safety officials who are working each and every day to save lives. These Granite Staters are standing up, fighting the stigma and telling their stories. And I have been working with those on the front lines to ensure that they have the tools and resources they need to combat this epidemic.
I put forward a comprehensive strategy at the state level and am implementing many of our proposals to strengthen our state’s response and help save lives. These measures include cracking down on fentanyl dealers and supporting effective law enforcement efforts such as operation Granite Hammer, expanding drug courts and providing millions of dollars in emergency funding for prevention, treatment and recovery programs.
I also fought to pass and reauthorize the bipartisan New Hampshire Health Protection Program, also known as Medicaid expansion, which has helped thousands of Granite Staters access substance use disorder and behavioral health services. And I have led a bipartisan effort with my fellow governors to make clear what resources we need from the federal government in order to support our states’ efforts.
Combating this crisis requires a multi-faceted approach that brings people together at all levels of government and beyond in order to find solutions.
This week, at a roundtable discussion with substance misuse treatment and recovery leaders and public safety officials from across our state, I outlined the policies that I will focus on in the United States Senate to get those who are on the front lines the support they need and reverse the tide of this epidemic.
The first step that we must take is to provide emergency funding for prevention, treatment, recovery and law enforcement efforts as soon as possible – and I am extremely grateful for Sen. Shaheen’s leadership in fighting for this critical funding for our state. If Congress fails to pass an emergency funding measure by the end of the year, I will push to make this legislation the first bill enacted by the new Congress and signed into law by the new president next year.
My plan also calls for strengthening prevention efforts through steps including requiring the use of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs nationwide to prevent doctor shopping and help doctors avoid over-prescribing, investigating illegal marketing by pharmaceutical companies, and expanding prevention education – particularly for young people.
Additionally, we must focus on expanding treatment and recovery programs for substance use disorders by protecting Medicaid expansion and eliminating counterproductive restrictions that make it harder for states to meet the increasing need for inpatient addiction treatment, enforcing the federal law on insurance parity to ensure that insurance companies cover substance use disorder treatment as they would other medical services, and growing our treatment and recovery workforce.
And as our public safety officials are working tirelessly to save lives, we need to give them the support they need so they can continue their incredible efforts. We must crack down on fentanyl and other synthetic drugs and step up drug interdiction efforts while also expanding drug courts. And I support facilitating collaboration between law enforcement agencies while increasing substance misuse training for public safety officials like firefighters and EMTs.
The priorities outlined in this plan are not exhaustive, but they are essential steps that should be taken now. I will make them my top priority in the U.S. Senate.
People in recovery and families who have lost loved ones have shared their stories, inspiring those around them with their courage and making a profound difference in the lives of countless others battling addiction. Their bravery must be marked by continued urgent action, because we know there is far more work to do to prevent more families, friends and communities from having to grapple with the pain of losing a loved one to substance misuse.
The path ahead will not be easy, and it will not be quick. But together, we can – and we will – beat this epidemic.
(Gov. Maggie Hassan is a candidate for U.S. Senate.)