Shaheen Calls for Federal Support As New Hampshire Ranks 3rd for Overdose Deaths in New National Overdose Data

(Washington, DC) — Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) release of state-by-state drug overdose data, which ranks New Hampshire 3rd for overdose mortality rate in the nation.

“This new data confirms what we already know is happening in communities across our state,” said Senator Shaheen. “Every overdose death reflected in this report is a life taken far too soon, a family devastated, and a community in mourning. This report should serve as a timely reminder that, as Congress works on government funding legislation, additional resources should be included to assist treatment providers and first responders in New Hampshire and around the country. The Trump administration has consistently promised federal support to tackle this epidemic, but we still don’t have a federal response providing real, sustained resources that is even close to matching the severity of this crisis.”

According to the CDC report, 39 Granite Staters for every 100,000 die from a drug overdose. New Hampshire’s mortality rate is nearly double the national average, which is 19 deaths for every 100,000 people.

Last week, Senator Shaheen, the lead Democrat on the Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee, sent a bipartisan letter with 8 of her Senate colleagues to Senate Leadership, asking that resources for tackling the opioid epidemic be included in the upcoming supplemental and omnibus appropriations legislation. Senator Shaheen sent a letter to President Trump in November with a group of 22 senators, calling on the President to support additional funding necessary to fight the opioid epidemic. Senator Shaheen has been a leader in Congress on combating the opioid crisis and recently introduced bipartisan legislation that would prioritize federal funding for states that have been hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, including New Hampshire. She also helped unveil legislation that would provide $45 billion to respond to the epidemic, which is the largest opioid response bill to date.