Hudson Discusses Opioid Epidemic With President Trump's "Drug Czar" in Kannapolis

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08), author of legislation to improve the disposal of opioids, hosted White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Jim Carroll today in Kannapolis to discuss efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. Known as President Donald Trump's "Drug Czar," Director Carroll first joined Rep. Hudson at Cabarrus Health Alliance to showcase the efforts of the Substance Use Network project, an initiative focused on helping pregnant women recover from opioid and substance abuse. Following the tour with Dr. Russell Suda, Rep. Hudson and Director Carroll held a roundtable discussion at the Concord Police Department with Chief Gary Gacek, Rep. Wayne Sasser and members of local law enforcement, medical professionals, school administrators and community organizations.

"After President Donald Trump declared the opioids epidemic a national emergency in 2017, Congress got to work and passed the largest response to a drug crisis ever - the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. We accomplished a lot with that bill and built upon earlier progress, but I know there is more to do, especially in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic," said Rep. Hudson. "I was honored to host President Trump’s “Drug Czar” in Cabarrus County today to showcase our leading efforts and hear from the community about how Congress and the Administration can further help to defeat the opioid epidemic."

According to the American Medical Association, more than 40 states have reported increases in opioid-related mortality during the coronavirus pandemic. The Wall Street Journal reports that “the pandemic has destabilized people trying to maintain sobriety or who are struggling with addiction during a time of increased social isolation and stress.” Additionally, according to the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program, overdoses rose almost 18% after stay-at-home orders were implemented across the country.

As part of his efforts to combat the opioid epidemic, Rep. Hudson has focused on getting prescription drugs out of the medicine cabinet. Early on, Rep. Hudson learned that 70% of heroin addictions begin in the medicine cabinet. This issue is especially pertinent while people are trapped at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Rep. Hudson authored legislation included in the SUPPORT Act that directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish programs for efficient disposal of unused schedule II drugs, with an emphasis on opioids. This will help get rid drugs that are kept in the medicine cabinet, and ideally reduce the number of addictions that begin.

At the Cabarrus Health Alliance, Rep. Hudson and Director Carroll discussed the dangers of opioid and substance abuse during pregnancy.

The use of opioids during pregnancy can result in a variety of birth defects, miscarriage, and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). Maternal opioid use has also been linked to low birthweight, breathing and feeding problems, and maternal mortality. The CDC reported that from 1999-2014, opioid use disorder rates in mothers at delivery increased by more than four times. North Carolina is no exception, with a NAS related inpatient rate of 9.4 per thousand newborns in 2016, which surpassed the national rate of 7 per thousand newborns. Cabarrus County experienced an increase in overdose emergency calls as well. In 2016, the county EMS responded to 163 overdose calls. The following year, the number of EMS calls increased to 551 calls.

The summer of 2017 showed 81 overdose calls in August alone, which was the highest volume in North Carolina at that time. Cabarrus County also struggles with newborn withdrawal hospitalizations at a rate of 7.6 hospitalizations per thousand births, which is greater than the national rate, though not as high as the statewide rate for North Carolina.