In a Union Leader editorial today, Governor Maggie Hassan was called out for her “temporary sense of urgency” in addressing New Hampshire’s heroin epidemic. The editorial points out Hassan’s negligence and mismanagement of $3 million that has been directed toward fighting the crisis. To date, only $1 million has actually been awarded to the local groups treating addicts.
This isn’t the first time Hassan has dropped the ball on addressing the heroin epidemic. Watch as Susan, a New Hampshire mother who lost her son to heroin addition, shares her story about Maggie Hassan’s inattention to the heroin crisis.
No urgency: Hassan sits on drug funding
Union Leader | Editorial
“We must act quickly to give patients, providers, parents and law enforcement better tools to combat this epidemic,” said Gov. Maggie Hassan last fall in calling the Legislature back for a special session to address opioid program funding and legislation.
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Hassan’s temporary sense of urgency faded again after the Legislature approved more money for drug treatment and prevention. Of the $3 million appropriated for the Governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse for Fiscal Year 2016, only $1 million has made it out the door, and to the local agencies providing treatment to addicts.
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Hassan chided the Legislature for not rubber-stamping her opioid plan quickly enough. But she sits on her hands as her commission fails to implement these programs promptly.
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