Opioid Crisis
The heroin and opioid epidemic has claimed too many loved ones, shattered too many lives, and broken too many families across our country. Over the past few years, the proliferation of fentanyl use has only made the crisis worse.
Combating this public health crisis requires collaboration among all levels of government, the medical community, law enforcement, and substance use treatment organizations.
The good news is that we have started to view addiction less as a moral failure and more as a treatable medical condition. To help those who struggle with addiction and prevent drug abuse in the first place, we need to understand the science of addiction.
The drug naloxone (Narcan) can reverse the effects of opioid overdoses. Other drugs are coming to the market that directly block cravings for opiates and greatly reduce the probability of relapse. In order to truly address the opioid crisis, we need to work to prevent addiction before it takes hold, and expand evidence-based treatment options for individuals who struggle with opioid dependency.
This isn’t a partisan issue, and I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to marshal federal resources to help our communities fight this epidemic and save lives.
More on Opioid Crisis
WASHINGTON, DC - I applaud President Trump's decision to declare what too many communities in Illinois and across American already know – the opioid crisis is a public health emergency. But if President Trump is serious about helping the individuals and their families who suffer from opioid dependence, he needs to commit the financial resources that communities need to fight it.
Bill Foster, U.S. Congressman (IL-11), The Hill
Each day, more than 90 Americans die from heroin and opioid overdoses. In my home state of Illinois, there were 1,835 overdose deaths in 2015 — a 16 percent increase in just two years. New synthetic versions of heroin like fentanyl and carfentanil are exacerbating the crisis. Overdose deaths from these drugs increased by over 70 percent from 2014 to 2015. Just last month, President Trump called the opioid crisis a national emergency.
Mike Mallory, The Herald-News
JOLIET – It's time we stop naming substance users as addicts, Will County Director of Substance Use Initiatives Dr. Kathleen Burke said.
"I want to ask everyone today to stop using the word ‘addict' because it's derogatory and it stigmatizes," Burke said Wednesday. "People have a medical disease. It's a substance use disorder. ‘Substance users' is what I try to say."
Washington, DC – On Tuesday, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) led a letter to President Trump with Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-WV), Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), urging him to implement the recommendations of the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. It was signed by 52 Members of Congress.
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) spoke on the U.S. House floor in support of an amendment that would provide $2.5 million to the Office of Technology Assessment. The amendment was offered as a part of H.R. 3219, FY2018 Appropriations Bill.
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) reintroduced the Medicaid CARE Act along with Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH), and Congressman Evan Jenkins (R-WV). This bill would provide medical assistance for treatment of opioid and heroin addiction. It would allow payments for certain residential treatment facilities. It would also establish a $50 million youth inpatient addiction treatment grant program to fund facilities in underserved areas.
Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune
Rep. Bill Foster stood before 17 graduates of the Kane County Drug Rehabilitation Court and congratulated them for not letting addiction define their lives.
"You have made overcoming your struggle a defining moment in your life," said Foster (District 11). "You should be proud that you have not let drug addiction define who you are. You have made a decision to take your life back, to fight back. It is a decision we are all proud you made. We are all here to support you."
Washington, DC - This budget eliminates critical funding for science, education, and programs that keep Americans safe and healthy. It is hard to overstate how much damage this budget will do to our ability to remain at the forefront of innovation and problem solving. The proposed 31 percent cut in the Environmental Protection Agency will reduce our capacity to act on climate change. The nearly 20 percent cut to the National Institutes of Health will harm long term research on diseases like Alzheimer's, diabetes, and opioid addiction.
David Sharos, Aurora Beacon-News
Heroin use continues to be a problem in the Aurora area, with some officials saying a change in attitude is needed to make headway against the drug.
A group of local law enforcement officials and drug enforcement groups, led by U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Naperville), met at Aurora's Eola Branch Library Wednesday to discuss the fight against heroin and opioid addiction.
Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) sent a letter signed by 71 Members of Congress to Kaléo Pharmaceuticals that requested more information on the recent increase in the price of its naloxone injector device, Evzio. This month, reports circulated that the company raised the price by over 600% from $690 in 2014 for a two pack to $4,500.