Hogan: Greater federal support needed to fight opioids

http://www.wbaltv.com/article/hogan-greater-federal-support-needed-to-fight-opioids/19180214

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan took the fight against opioids to Capitol Hill Thursday.

Hogan testified in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to speak about what needs to be done on the federal level to fight the epidemic.

He cited the synthetic opioid fentanyl as the leading cause of deadly overdoses, and he called on lawmakers to address the problem. First, he wants more federal funding aimed at fighting addiction.

Hogan said he also wants increased availability to naloxone, education programs focused on the dangers of fentanyl and legislation to address the flow of drugs into the country.

“The majority of this fentanyl is being shipped in from China or it’s crossing the border and being smuggled in from Mexico, and we simply can’t stop it without the federal government stepping up,” Hogan said.

Deadly fentanyl overdoses in Maryland were up more than 70 percent in 2017 when compared to 2016.

The following is a transcript of the governor’s remarks as prepared for testimony, courtesy the governor’s office.

“During my campaign for governor in 2014, I traveled across Maryland with my running mate, Boyd Rutherford, asking voters one question: Which issue facing your community are you most concerned about? The answer we heard again and again, in every corner of our state, was heroin and opioid addiction.

“Immediately after taking office, we set up a Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force, chaired by Lt. Gov. Rutherford, which developed 33 specific recommendations focused on a four-pronged approach: education, prevention, enforcement and treatment. We have acted to address or move forward on nearly all of these recommendations.

“In March 2017, Maryland became the first state in the nation to declare a full-scale state of emergency in response to the heroin, opioid, and fentanyl crisis. In order to truly treat this crisis as we would a natural disaster or public safety emergency, we activated an Opioid Operational Command Center to more rapidly coordinate between state and local agencies, and dedicated an additional $50 million in funding over the next five years. In total, we have spent nearly half a billion in state and federal funding to combat opioid and substance use disorders.

“Through legislation we have taken positive strides, we’ve expanded our state’s Good Samaritan Law and Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, imposed strict penalties on individuals distributing fentanyl, and passed legislation limiting the amount of opioids a health care provider can prescribe. This past June, our Department of Health issued a standing order allowing all Marylanders to be able to receive the life-saving drug Naloxone from pharmacies, and in January, I authorized our attorney general to file suit against opioid manufacturers and distributors that have helped create the addiction crisis gripping our state and nation.

“Yet, in spite of all of our efforts, in spite of us fighting with every tool we have at our disposal, this crisis continues to evolve, particularly with the threat of fentanyl and other synthetic additives, which can be 50 times to 100 times stronger than heroin.

“Combatting a crisis of this scale requires all levels of government working together. No state or community can go it alone. The majority of the deadly fentanyl is being shipped in from China or smuggled in from Mexico and we need the federal government to step in and stop this poison from ravaging our state and our nation.

“Maryland is working tirelessly to fight this epidemic, alongside our counties and municipalities, in neighborhoods and schools, with public health, human services and public safety. We need greater federal support, especially more targeted and aggressive federal enforcement efforts for fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.

“Ultimately, this is about saving lives. It will take all of us to do that.”

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