Senator Bill Cassidy addressed fellow lawmakers in DC about the opioid crisis in Louisiana. Cassidy, who is also a physician, said the Bayou State had the highest increase of opioid deaths in the nation in 2020.
“Louisiana drug overdose deaths surpassed a record high of 2,100 in the twelve months leading to March 2021. Overdose mortalities increased statewide by over 56% last year. These numbers are devastating,” said Cassidy.
In 2018 Congress passed landmark opioid legislation and Cassidy said and for the first time in almost 30 years, the number of opioid deaths decreased. But all that changed when the pandemic struck.
“Louisiana became the top state in drug overdose growth during COVID-19. The pressure of the pandemic, the subsequence influx in fentanyl from other countries, all this increased drug addiction and hence drug deaths,” said Cassidy.
Cassidy said the opioid abuse took a backseat to COVID during the pandemic but he’s encouraging lawmakers to renew focus on the drug epidemic because there’s no vaccine for addiction.
“Provide resources to stop illegal drugs at the border, support the discovery of non-addictive pain killers and deliver treatment to those who are already addicted,” said Cassidy.
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