WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) spoke on the Senate floor to voice his support for the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), bipartisan legislation he has co-sponsored that will provide a series of incentives and resources to help states and local communities combat the nation’s growing opioid epidemic.
WATCH SENATOR TILLIS’ FULL SPEECH HERE.
“Across the nation, there has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of opioid addiction, which is now at the point of being a full-blown crisis. In my home state of North Carolina, we’ve seen this devastation first-hand, with 1,358 overdose deaths in 2014 alone, fueled by the combination of the abuse of opiate-based prescription painkillers and heroin.…For far too long, the conventional thinking was that drug addiction deserved the stigma it receives: a choice made by criminals who were intent on destroying the lives of themselves and others. It was a dark and painful embarrassment for their families. It is long overdue for us to come to grips with reality. Because we now know the truth. Drug addiction doesn’t discriminate based on one’s gender, race or socio-economic status.”
“I’m proud to be a co-sponsor of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which is bipartisan legislation that brings together the experiences and recommendations of drug addiction experts, law enforcement, health care providers, first responders, and the patient community most affected by the opioid epidemic.”
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