Annie Kuster is national leader in fight against opioid addiction

To The Daily Sun,

The opioid crisis claimed nearly 72,000 American lives last year. To make matters worse, New Hampshire had the tragic distinction of leading the nation in fentanyl overdose deaths per capita. It is little surprise that I — like almost every Granite Stater — know many community members who suffer from and are affected by substance use disorder.

While the opioid crisis was taking shape in New Hampshire, Annie Kuster was working hard in DC to raise awareness about this crisis. Three years ago, she co-founded the Bipartisan Task Force to End the Opioid Crisis. In the intervening years, this group has grown from two to over 100 members, Republican and Democrats, who are working together to combat addiction. Annie’s advocacy and leadership caused the House of Representatives to pass dozens bills to address the opioid crisis. These pieces of legislation will improve access to long-term treatment, enhance preventative measures, and bolster law enforcement. Annie also helped secure billions of dollars of funding to combat the opioid crisis nationally, including more than $20 million for New Hampshire.

At a time when our politics is defined by gridlock and inaction, Annie is breaking through the partisanship to deliver results for Granite Staters. Thanks to Annie’s work, our state is making progress to combat addiction. My district should be proud of her work, We need more resources to address the opioid crisis. I’m proud that Annie is my representative in Congress and I look forward to voting for her in November.

Scott Burns

Franklin