Kelly Ayotte co-sponsored the legislation aimed to address the nationwide opioid and heroin epidemic with programs to prevent and treat addiction as well as support individuals in recovery.

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Ayotte’s substance use bill passes US Senate

The Nashua Telegraph

U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte said final Senate passage Wednesday of the comprehensive substance abuse bill she co-authored marks an important step forward in combating the heroin and opioid crisis by providing increased support for prevention, treatment, recovery and first responders.

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, known as CARA, passed the Senate on a 92-2 vote and is expected to be signed into law by President Barack Obama, Ayotte said. It calls for an additional $181 million to be appropriated to fund the broad range of programs and agencies the bill supports.

“Passing this bill is a very important first step forward in recognizing that this is a national public health crisis,” Ayotte said in a telephone conference call with New Hampshire media.

“It’s very important in terms of recognizing and putting in place the right policies to address this epidemic in our state. I’m pleased that it got passed today,” she said of the bill she worked on for two years.

Ayotte, a Republican from Nashua who is in a tight re-election race with Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan, said she also was pleased with the bipartisan vote the bill received. Ayotte was a prime sponsor of the bill along with Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

Ayotte said CARA received strong support from the nation’s police chiefs – including nearly 40 in New Hampshire – attorneys general and more than 240 advocacy groups, including HOPE for NH Recovery.

In addition, besides federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration block grants that go to the states, the state and agencies would have to apply for the grants.

CARA develops a public policy framework to fund what Ayotte calls evidence-based programs to help combat the substance abuse crisis that has hit New Hampshire particularly hard.

The state remains in the throes of a heroin and fentanyl epidemic that saw drug fatalities beginning to skyrocket in 2014, when an illicitly manufactured version of the highly potent narcotic painkiller fentanyl gained a foothold here and in other states.

The state had a record 439 drug deaths in 2015 and 161 confirmed fatalities as of July 8 this year, with another 86 cases pending toxicological test results, according to the state Medical Examiner’s office. The office projects there will be a total of 494 fatal overdoses this year.

Programs and practices CARA would support include increased medication-assisted treatment and grants to support recovery programs, Ayotte said.

“I was able to push, along with others, to make sure recovery programs are supported. … With people struggling with addiction, it’s not just a matter of getting the drugs out of your system,” Ayotte said.

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