On Thursday, March 26, 2015 the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in the US House of Representatives held a hearing entitled “Examining the Growing Problems of Prescription Drug and Heroin Abuse: State and Local Perspectives.” The purpose of the hearing was to review the recent prescription drug and heroin epidemic in the United States, with witnesses from states and local communities, including Dr. Caleb Banta-Green, Research Scientist at the University of Washington’s Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute. Witnesses gave a “boots on the ground” perspective of the trends they are observing and specific local impacts, why the problem is getting worse, how it is being handled by states and local communities, what works and what does not, and how to improve the federal public health efforts to prevent and treat prescription drug and heroin abuse. The aim of the hearing was to identify “success stories” at the local level that could have national application, and to get feedback on the effectiveness of federal programs aimed at reducing prescription drug and heroin overdoses.
READ written testimony, or WATCH video of the hearing: http://energycommerce.house.gov/hearing/examining-growing-problems-prescription-drug-and-heroin-abuse-state-and-local-perspectives
