Congressman MacArthur Hosts Roundtable on Opioid Treatment and Recovery
Congressman MacArthur Hosts Roundtable on Opioid Treatment and Recovery
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday Congressman Tom MacArthur chaired the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force roundtable on effective addiction treatment and recovery.
During the roundtable, Members received an update from Christopher M. Jones, PharmD., M.P.H, of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); John Brogan, the Chief Recovery Specialist for Lifeline Recovery Support Services in the Ocean County (NJ) Prosecutors Office Blue Hart Program; and Chief Brian Rhodes of the Nashua (NH) Fire and Rescue Department. Director Jones gave remarks on the national state of the opioid crisis and the federal response. Mr. Brogan and Chief Rhodes described the innovative programs they have led in their communities, which have successfully connected individuals to much-needed treatment and reduced local overdose deaths.
“We are losing 174 Americans every day to the opioid crisis,” Congressman MacArthur said. “They aren’t just numbers. These are people whose lives were stolen from them and cut short. They were someone’s son or daughter, brother or sister, soulmate or friend. If we lost 174 people from a plane crash two days in a row, we would ground every plane and do whatever is necessary to keep people safe. We need that intensity of effort to overcome this crisis. It may be bigger than any of us, but it isn’t bigger than all of us together.”
Ocean County is considered to be the epicenter of the fight against opioid addiction in New Jersey and the County was recently designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) after collaborative efforts by U.S. Senator, Cory Booker, Congressman MacArthur and County Prosecutor, Joseph Coronato.
“Our nation needs to take a comprehensive approach to treating addiction, which impacts the mind, body, and soul,” Brogan said. “The work of the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force in Congress is crucial to bring people together to develop comprehensive solutions that will help us treat this disease. Thanks to Congressman MacArthur and Congresswoman Kuster, for inviting me to discuss the successful treatment efforts we are seeing on the ground in Ocean County.”
“South Jersey has been hit particularly hard and I’m grateful for the commitment of our first responders, recovery specialists and healthcare community,” MacArthur continued. “The Bipartisan Heroin Task Force has made progress and we will stand with our local communities in providing the resources and initiatives to help us overcome this together.”