Politics & Government
Ayotte Urges Funds to Combat Heroin Scourge
Lawmakers zero in on ways to fight what is called an "epidemic" use of heroin.
U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) is urging the nation's top law enforcement official to use every means at his disposal to combat the heroin scourge in New Hampshire and around the country.
She called on Senate appropriators to prioritize funding that supports drug-trafficking enforcement efforts.
Ayotte and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) are conferring with police, safety and health officials back in New Hampshire on ways to best tackle the heroin problem. Shaheen met at Salem Police Department earlier this month with a group of officials, while Ayotte will meet later this month in a similar roundtable.
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In a letter last week to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services, Ayotte wrote:
"Today, my home state of New Hampshire is facing a heroin addiction crisis that is taking lives and ruining families. The HIDTA Program continues to be a critical tool in helping to disrupt national and regional drug trafficking operations, and we continue to rely on their expertise and experience to fight alarming regional heroin use trends in New England."
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"The regional collaborative approach allowed by [New England HIDTA] is critical to combating this program in New Hampshire, as law enforcement reports that much of the supply of heroin in New Hampshire passes through Connecticut and Massachusetts before reaching end-users in New Hampshire communities."
The attached image shows the past month and past year heroin use among people 12 and older, according to 2002-2012 estimates in the U.S. of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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