Rep. Dold: Opioid Addiction 'Demands a National Response'

The House plans legislation next month to combat the nation's growing opioid epidemic, and Rep. Bob Dold said in Saturday's GOP address that lawmakers plan to continue leading the fight both in Washington D.C. and in their home districts.

"The Senate has already passed a good bipartisan bill to combat this epidemic and the president has put forth his ideas as well," the Illinois Republican said Saturday. "There is common ground for action."

Dold is the sponsor of Lali's Law, named in memory of Alex Laliberte, a young Illinois man who died of an overdose in 2008 at the age of 20. The bill, if passed, will increase access to the overdose antidote, naloxone.

"Naloxone has already saved more than 70 lives in the community of Lake county, Illinois, alone in just over one year," Dold said. "The World Health Organization says that increasing access to this medication could save an additional 20,000 lives every year."

Laliberte, said Dold, was a high school athlete who became addicted to prescription drugs when he went to college, and was hospitalized several times before he overdosed just a few days after his final college exams.

"As a father, I can’t imagine the pain of losing one of my children to a drug overdose," said Dold. "But sadly, too many families have experienced this loss. Heroin abuse has become an epidemic. Studies show us that people who abuse prescription drugs are much more likely to become addicted to heroin — especially teenagers, who can easily find these kinds of drugs lying around the house."

And because the abuse spans all demographics, financial situations and communities and can "literally happen to anyone," the epidemic demands a national response.

"We can’t let politics get in the way of giving people a second chance at recovery," said Dold. "We’re doing all that we can to prevent overdoses and reduce addiction. I’ve worked with the Laliberte family, and many other groups, from doctors to community leaders, to not only raise awareness but to create actionable solutions."

And by working together, said Dold, "we can not only save young people like Alex Laliberte from falling victim to drug abuse, but also help those in our communities struggling to get their lives back on track."

Related Stories:

• CDC Report: Number of US Heroin Users Rose 300,000 over a Decade
• Overdose Deaths in US Hit Record High