Today the subcommittee holds a hearing entitled combatting the opoid crisis, battles in the states. Make no mistake, the term combatting and battles are entirely appropriate. Our nation is in the midst of a tremendous fight against death affecting every corner of our nation. There were more than 52,000 deaths in overdose. A 20 increase in the prior year. It was almost seven time it is rate of death from the heroin epidemic of the 1970s. We learned we have lost roughly 60,0 0 people to Drug Overdoses. That is more in one year than all the names on the vietnam veteran memorial wall. That is likely underestimated because much of the data will not be in until the end of next year. For every fatale overdose there is 20 nonfatale overdoses and for 2016 that could be near one million. More than 130,000 lives have been lost between 1999 and 2015. Thats about 50,000 oh 500,000 will be lost over the next decade. The roots began in 1980 when a letter was misinterpreted as evidence it was unlikely
Good morning everyone. Today the subcommittee of oversight and investigation holds a hearing entitled combatting the Opioid Crisis battles in the states. Now, make no mistake the term combatting and battled are entirely appropriate. Our nation is in the midst of devastation around every corner of the nation. In 2015 there were more than in the u. S. , more than 33,000 deaths involved in opioid. 24 increase from the prior year. Overdose death rate in 2015 was almost seven times the rate of deaths from the heroin epidemic of the 1970s. For 2016 weve already announced from New York Times weve lost roughly 60,000 people to Drug Overdose and that is more in one year than all the names on the Vietnam Veterans memorial wall. And likely that number is underestimated because much of the data will not be in until the end of this year 2017. Its staggering. For every fatal overdose its estimated there are 20 nonfatal overdoses and for 2016 that could be near 1 million. More than 183,000 lives have