Rep. Guinta unveils opioid addiction toolkit

New Hampshire Rep. Frank Guinta (Courtesy image)

WASHINGTON - Congressman Frank Guinta on Thursday unveiled an addiction resources toolkit to help New Hampshire families cope with the heroin and opioid crisis sweeping his state. The comprehensive guide, which Rep. Guinta developed with the Addiction Policy Forum, is available to constituents at his official website or Manchester office. It includes prevention, treatment and recovery information for those suffering from alcohol or drug abuse, in particular heroin and opioid abuse, responsible for a rising number of overdose deaths in the Granite State.

Across the country, more Americans die each day from drug overdoses than car accidents, an average of 129 people per day. Six out of 10 deaths are opioid-related. However in 2014, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, only 11 percent of approximately 22.7 million Americans in need of addiction treatment received help. Guinta's bill to direct more resources to New Hampshire treatment programs will likely pass the House of Representatives this week.

"So many of our families have been affected by the heroin epidemic but don't know where to turn for assistance," said Guinta, who founded the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, including over 80 members of Congress. "My staff is able to provide them the information they need about prevention, treatment, and recovery options."

"For years, individuals have been calling their members of Congress for help with passport applications or Social Security questions. Now they can call for help with New Hampshire's biggest problem," explained Jessica Nickel, Executive Director of the Addiction Policy Forum. "We applaud Congressman Frank Guinta for taking real steps to help families in his district struggling with addiction."

For more info on the toolkit, click here.