Washington, May 12, 2016 - This week, Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) voted for and the House passed a bipartisan package of bills aimed at reducing and preventing opioid abuse across the country. Opioids include heroin and prescription painkillers, such as hydrocodone and oxycodone.

“An opioid epidemic is sweeping the nation and devastating our families,” said Rep. Graves. “In Northwest Georgia, the epidemic is especially severe, with more people dying due to drug overdoses than in most other parts of the state. The legislation the House passed this week combats the epidemic on multiple fronts, including better educating doctors on addiction risks, reforming the FDA drug approval process for pain medications, and providing state and local governments with additional resources to fight opioid abuse.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more Americans now die from opioid overdoses than from car accidents. Additionally, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, one in five Americans has a family member who’s been addicted to prescription painkillers.

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