Marsha Blackburn is fighting opioid epidemic
Sadly, Tennesseans are no strangers to the nationwide opioid epidemic. In 2017, 1,776 people died in Tennessee as a result of the opioid epidemic.
At least three people in Tennessee die from an opioid-related overdose each day; that is even more than the number of daily traffic fatalities. These staggering numbers do not even include the Tennesseans who have had their lives destroyed by addiction.
You cannot ignore the statistics, and you cannot ignore the fact that behind every single one of those numbers is a person – a friend, a neighbor, a son, a daughter.
At the state level, we have taken serious steps to eradicate the opioid epidemic. Our legislation focused on three key areas: Prevention, treatment, and law enforcement.
I was honored to have carried Governor Haslam’s prevention legislation, and know that as a pharmacist, solving the opioid epidemic requires a multilevel approach. We cannot do it alone.
We all must come together to combat the epidemic. Tennessee is blessed with dedicated first responders and public safety officers on the front lines, and our local elected officials are working to boost the safety of its citizens.
The federal government too must improve the way it approaches this crisis, and we are fortunate to have a strong working partner in Congressman Marsha Blackburn.
While others talk about what they might do, Congressman Blackburn is taking action. In 2016, Congressman Blackburn was integral in passing the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the 21st Century Cures Act. Both bills took major steps to combat the opioid epidemic by supporting prevention, treatment, and recovery programs that proved effective.
While these laws have improved the way the federal government treats addiction, we know there is still a great deal of room for improvement.
More recently, Congressman Blackburn introduced the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery 2.0 Act, an updated version of the legislation she worked on a couple of years ago.
This legislation will make a number of additional policy changes to strengthen the federal government’s response, increase civil and criminal penalties for bad actors, and authorize necessary funding.
We have begun to see, however, that some on the Left are using the opioid crisis as a political tool. Finger pointing and name calling will not solve the opioid epidemic, and every minute spent politicizing it is a minute wasted. We cannot afford that.
Using the opioid epidemic as a political tool is to use its victims as political pawns and demean the tragedy this public health crisis leaves in its wake. The better course of action is to find meaningful solutions, like those proposed by Congressman Blackburn, that will affect positive change to roll back the tide of addiction.
I know Congressman Blackburn. She is a compassionate mother and grandmother, who will not rest until we have implemented the necessary solutions to put Tennessee on the right track.
That is why she is listening and talking with victims, healthcare providers, and law enforcement officers. She is taking their suggestions back to Washington to affect real change.
There should be no partisan rhetoric when it comes to the opioid crisis. It is much too grave to be minimized in such a way. Congressman Blackburn has a reputation as a fighter, and in the fight against the opioid epidemic, we need her in the U.S. Senate.
Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, serves in the Tennessee Senate, representing District 18, which includes Sumner, Trousdale and parts of Davidson counties.