Combating the Substance Misuse Crisis
The heroin, fentanyl, and opioid crisis is the most pressing public health and safety challenge facing New Hampshire, taking a massive toll on our communities, our workforce, and our economy.
During her time as Governor, Senator Hassan worked to implement a comprehensive strategy to support those on the front lines and help save lives. Working across party lines, she secured funding to strengthen treatment, prevention, recovery, and law enforcement efforts. Under her leadership, New Hampshire increased penalties for fentanyl distribution, began investigating overdose deaths as homicides, reformed the state’s prescribing rules, and expanded the state’s prescription drug monitoring system.
Under then-Governor Hassan’s leadership, New Hampshire successfully passed and reauthorized a bipartisan Medicaid expansion plan, one of the state’s most powerful tools in fighting the epidemic because it covers mental health and substance use disorder services.
Senator Hassan is building on those efforts in the Senate, fighting to secure additional resources for New Hampshire and standing up against attempts to repeal Medicaid expansion. She is also focused on stopping dangerous synthetic drugs like fentanyl from being shipped through our borders, helping law enforcement crack down on synthetic substances and better prosecute drug traffickers, and establishing a permanent funding stream to provide and expand access to substance use disorder treatment. And she is working across party lines to help ensure that health care providers and patients understand the addiction risks of so-called “abuse-deterrent” opioids.
The Senator has also spoken out on the need to end the stigma of addiction that prevents too many in New Hampshire and across America from reaching out to get help.
Senator Hassan is willing to work with anyone to help those struggling with addiction get the treatment that they need and to support all of the dedicated professionals on the front lines battling this crisis.
Related News
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July 11, 2019
Senators Hassan, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment for Substance Use Disorder
WASHINGTON - Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) yesterday introduced bipartisan legislation that would help health care providers more effectively treat patients suffering from substance use disorder. The bipartisan Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act would eliminate an outdated requirement that needlessly restricts health care providers from prescribing buprenorphine, a proven medication-assisted treatment that has helped countless Americans struggling with substance use disorder. Companion legislation has also been introduced in the House of Representatives.
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May 25, 2019
Senator Hassan, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Provide Financial Relief to Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Due to Opioid Crisis
WASHINGTON - To continue combating the devastating effects of the opioid crisis on families, Senator Maggie Hassan recently joined in introducing a bill to help ease the financial burden of grandparents who are raising grandchildren. The Grandfamilies Act builds on the success of bipartisan legislation that was signed into law last year and was cosponsored by Senator Hassan to help grandparents easily find the resources that they need. The Grandfamilies Act is also cosponsored by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).
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May 09, 2019
Rise in Drug and Substance Use on College Campuses Prompts Tester, Capito, Hassan to Introduce Bipartisan Legislation
(U.S. Senate) - To combat rising rates of the misuse of drugs and other substances on college campuses, U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) introduced bipartisan legislation to help fund substance misuse prevention and treatment initiatives at colleges and universities.
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May 07, 2019
Senator Hassan Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Give NH Law Enforcement Tools to Better Detect Fentanyl, Enhance Officer Safety
WASHINGTON - Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, yesterday cosponsored bipartisan legislation to provide law enforcement officers with better technology to detect and identify synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. The Providing Officers with Electronic Resources (POWER) Act establishes a new grant program through the U.S. Department of Justice to give state and local law enforcement officers access to the same high-tech screening devices that Senator Hassan helped secure for Customs and Broder Protection agents through the bipartisan INTERDICT Act that was signed into law last year.
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April 27, 2019
In China, Senators Hassan and Coons Meet with Government Officials to Discuss How to Strengthen Efforts to Combat Fentanyl Trafficking that Contributes to Opioid Crisis in the U.S.
BEIJING, CHINA - Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Finance Committees, and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Thursday met with the Vice Chairman of China’s National Narcotics Control Commission, Liu Yuejin. The Senators stressed the importance of strengthening efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking from China that contributes to the devastating opioid crisis in the United States. China’s National Narcotics Control Commission is similar to the Drug Enforcement Administration in the United States.
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April 17, 2019
At Franklin Police Department, Senator Hassan Hears About Impact of Opioid Crisis on First Responders, Discusses Efforts to Support First Responders on Front Lines
FRANKLIN - Senator Maggie Hassan today met with first responders and city leaders at the Franklin Police Department, where she heard about the impact of traumatic stress from the opioid crisis on first responders and how she can continue to support their efforts on the front lines of this crisis. Senator Hassan was joined by Franklin Police Chief David Goldstein, Police Lieutenant Stephanie Clough, Franklin Fire Chief Michael Foss, Fire Captain Bruce Goldthwaite, and City Manager Judie Milner. The Senator was also joined by Eric Golnick and John Mulet of Veteran and First Responder (VFR) Healthcare.
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April 16, 2019
Senator Hassan Highlights Her Bipartisan Legislation to Support Career Pathways at Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions in Exeter
EXETER - In case you missed it, Senator Maggie Hassan yesterday visited Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions to learn more about how the company’s apprenticeship program – which is made possible through a partnership with Great Bay Community College – is helping to build the skilled workforce that Cobham needs to continue to grow and thrive. Senator Hassan highlighted her bipartisan Gateway to Careers Act that would help support partnerships like the one between Great Bay Community College and Cobham to address New Hampshire’s workforce shortage.
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