Lawmakers Fight Increasing Drug Overdose Deaths in US

Drug overdose deaths — most notably from abuse of prescription painkillers as well as a resurgence of heroin — have captured the interest of a growing bipartisan group of lawmakers in Washington, The Hill reported.

It noted that the number of Americans dying from prescription painkiller overdoses has "quadrupled since 1999," with a total of 44,000 drug overdose deaths tallied last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That figure is higher than the number of deaths from both car crashes and firearms nationwide, The Hill added.

"There's definitely more interest in it in Congress," Kyle Simon, director of policy and advocacy at the Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence in Washington, told The Hill. "We're really encouraged by the congressional hearings."

The issue has sparked interest from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whose home state, Kentucky, has suffered amid drug resurgence. Democrats have also engaged, including Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, who is seeking a surgeon general's call to action as drug issues have impacted his home state as well.

He says the issue must be bipartisan, noting that "Whether it's Lexington, Massachusetts or Lexington, Kentucky, this epidemic knows no boundaries."

President Barack Obama has sought an additional $133 million in new drug prevention funding, The Hill said.

Meanwhile, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, has teamed with South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott on a bipartisan Senate Prescription Drug Abuse Caucus, they announced last week, noting drug overuse has reached a "crisis point."

"Ignoring the problem is simply unacceptable," Manchin said in a statement. "We have a responsibility – especially to our children – to stop the scourge of prescription drug abuse. Far too many Americans have been affected by this growing epidemic, far too many families have been torn apart, and far too many lives have been lost."

Manchin added: "We must go after this problem from every angle – family assistance, counseling programs, consumer and medical education, law enforcement support, state and federal legislation – and today, the United States Senate joins the fight in one more capacity."

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has also acknowledged a runaway problem across the nation with heroin and other opiates. She plans to make drug policy along with mental health a major part of her 2016 campaign, the Huffington Post noted.

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