[R]ep. Peter Welch has commended President Donald Trump for signing a package of opioid legislation — including four measures co-authored by the Vermont lawmaker — but says a more comprehensive approach is needed to combat the opioid epidemic ravaging communities in Vermont and across the country.
“If the first principle of legislation is to do no harm, we have succeeded,” the Vermont Democrat said following the Wednesday signing. “But if the goal of legislation is to solve a problem, we have failed. What we need, in addition to these good bills, is a full-scale opioids Marshall Plan that provides significant resources to those working on the front lines of this public health epidemic.”
During the signing ceremony at the White House, the president said, “Together we are going to end the scourge of drug addiction, or at least make an extremely big dent in this terrible, terrible problem.”
The legislation, known as the Support for Patients and Communities Act, has been roundly supported by Welch since it was introduced in the House last year. Among his proposals that were included was increased funding for Vermont’s Hub and Spoke substance abuse program.
Welch’s latest legislative package — called the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act — would provide states and communities with $100 billion in funding over 10 years to combat the opioid crisis. It would increase access to addiction treatment and support training programs for law enforcement to intercept shipments of opioids, including the dangerous drug fentanyl, at U.S. borders.
Nationally during 2017, drug overdoses killed more than 72,000 people in the United States — with more than 48,000 caused by opioids — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During 2017 in Vermont, there were 124 deaths caused by overdoses — a 6 percent decrease from the previous year. Of those deaths, 107 were caused by opioids, according to the Vermont Department of Health.
The opioid crisis has been a key issue in Vermont during the 2018 campaign season, with both gubernatorial candidates discussing it, and almost 20 percent of Vermonters saying it is the most important problem facing the state, according to a July VPR-Vermont PBS poll.
