Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy joined health advocates, law enforcement, and local service providers today to talk about the growing heroin problem in Connecticut.
Heroin deaths in Connecticut doubled last year over 2012. Senator Murphy said there were a number of number of reasons why. "One is that we've got a dangerous additive to the product, fentanyl which is killing people all across Connecticut," Murphy said. "We have relatively low prices for the drug, we are at the beginning of the Northeast supply chain, and so it's time for the federal government to recognize that the lack of funding for treatment and enforcement is a contributing factor."
Senators Murphy and Blumenthal outlined a plan they say will help stem the tide of Heroin overdoses in Connecticut, including funding for the treatment of heroin addiction above the President's 1.8 billion dollar request, and continued funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program to help crack down on heroin trafficking rings.
The plan also calls for more collaborations between local law enforcement, hospitals, and addiction services to help people struggling with addiction. Both Murphy and Blumenthal gave their support for the so-called Narcan bill, state legislation that would allow anyone to administer the antidote for Heroin overdose without fear of a wrongful death lawsuit.
