Rep. Richard Hudson attends signing of bipartisan opioids bill

On Wednesday, Rep. Richard Hudson, R-8, joined President Donald Trump at the White House for the signing of a comprehensive package of bipartisan legislation to combat the opioids crisis.

Included in the legislation are three bipartisan bills sponsored by Hudson that focus on the safe and responsible packaging and disposal of unused opioids. Hudson sponsored the Securing Opioids and Unused Narcotics with Deliberate (SOUND) Disposal and Packaging Act, and he co-sponsored the Safe Disposal of Unused Medication Act and the Education for Disposal of Unused Opioids Act.

Hudson was the only member of the North Carolina delegation to attend the signing.

“With the most significant federal action against a drug crisis in history, we’re getting more resources to our communities and folks on the front lines,” said Hudson. “I’m grateful for President Trump’s strong leadership, and I’m hopeful my bipartisan measures to get rid of unused opioids will go a long way in saving lives.”

Hudson’s office says the disposal legislation is critical because, according to the Journal of American Medical Association, less than 10 percent of patients dispose of opioids properly. Some 80 percent of people who use heroin had first misused prescription opioids.

The SOUND Disposal and Packaging Act is a bipartisan bill he introduced with Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-1, that would encourage and promote improved packaging and disposal methods for opioids.

The Support for Patients and Communities Act was crafted to find solutions to help in overall efforts to advance treatment and recovery initiatives, improve prevention, protect our communities, and bolster efforts to fight deadly illicit synthetic drugs like fentanyl.