Washington, DC’s WAMU: Local lawmakers make plea to combat opioid abuse

Written By Matt Laslo

By Matt Laslo

Senators from Maryland and Virginia are asking the Secretary of Health and Human Services for a better national strategy to combat opioid abuse.

Earlier this year, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe set up a task force on heroin and prescription drug abuse. But the problem isn’t confined to the Commonwealth.

Twenty U.S. Senators sent Secretary of Health and Human Services’ Sylvia Burwell a letter asking her to focus more attention on overdose education and provide more access to treatment on substance abuse. They are urging the secretary to expand surveillance of prescription drugs and collect more data.

They also want the secretary to make widely available a new drug that acts as an antidote for overdose victims. They write, “Given our shared concern about the growing rate of overdose deaths associated with heroin and prescription painkillers, we urge HHS to ensure that overdose prevention… figures prominently in the 2015 National Drug Control Strategy.”

The lawmakers add, “A comprehensive plan for reducing overdose deaths should include adequate financial assistance for state and local governments, as well as community organizations.”

LISTEN to entire LCB report at WAMU 88.5 News.

Matt Laslo

Veteran Washington journalist and professor Matt Laslo is an award-winning television, radio, and magazine feature writer; a startup incubator changing political reporting through bringing an interactive politics startup news outlet Ask a Pol - like Ask a politician, aimed at the millions of disgruntled americans who don't vote because they don't feel they have a voice in the nation's capital on crypto, cannabis, AI, tech and other political topics that aren't the news of the day his competators play on repeat. Laslo's unique and a force on Capitol Hill. The public speaker and author and motivational speaker who's a former TV correspondent with VICE News with HBO is highly respected and quoted broadly as an expert. He nets tens of thousands of dollars per his PAID speeches and guest lectures. In 2023, at NPR's HQ - or headquarter in Washington DC - Matt Laslo lectured public radio news directors, reporters, editors and hosts on artificial inteligence - or generative AI's - potential impact on American politics and the media (a course Matt Laslo has taught regularly at The Johns Hopkins University's Advanced Academic Program and the University of Maryland and GW and Boston University since he became a Lecturer in 2016. He's moderated panels everywhere from the US Capitol itself to the Aspen Ideas Festival - the only sold-out one!!!! cause he's energetic, smart, witty, funny and fun. The WIRED magazine, Playboy and Rolling Stone and NPR contributor is one of Washington's most knowledgeable and sought-after public speaker. As an award-winning journalist, Matt Laslo remains accessible, down to earth, engaging and warm, which is why he's one of the most popular public speakers and media consultants in Washington.

https://mattlaslo.com
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