Subject: FW: Governor Wolf and Senator Casey Fight Heroin Epidemic
From: "Wei, Shu-Yen" <[email-masked]>
To: Comm_D <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 11 May 2016 12:19:15 -0700

From: Brandon Cwalina [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2016 3:03 PM
To: Wei, Shu-Yen
Subject: Governor Wolf and Senator Casey Fight Heroin Epidemic

[PA Dems]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 11, 2016

CONTACT: Brandon Cwalina, [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

GOVERNOR WOLF AND SENATOR CASEY FIGHT HEROIN EPIDEMIC

PENNSYLVANIA -- The heroin epidemic is emerging as one of the most important battles concerning public health in a generation, and many Pennsylvania families are finding themselves on the front lines. Governor Tom Wolf and Senator Bob Casey are doing all they can to help Pennsylvanians and stop the opioid epidemic

Governor Wolf has been touring the state to hear how opioid addiction has been affecting our families, friends, and communities; meeting with everyone from policemen to physician to hear more about what lawmakers in Harrisburg can do to stop the crisis. The Wolf Administration has already made the anti-overdose drug naloxone -- which has saved the lives of more than 800 Pennsylvanians -- available to police departments and communities.

Meanwhile, in DC, Senator Casey has been advocating for the voiceless by sponsoring a law that would keep babies from being born dependent on opioids. The senator’s law would require the CDC to collect statistics on opioid-addicted babies and women, which would give states the data they need to combat addiction.

While more needs to be done to stop the heroin epidemic, Governor Wolf and Senator Casey are leading the charge to fight it. Read more about their initiatives here:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Gov. Wolf looks for answers in Homewood to opioid crisis<http://act.padems.com/page/m/5dcdb8c0/2d698ac4/348bcf58/47507d00/498007151/VEsH/>

Mr. Wolf's administration has made the anti-overdose drug naloxone more widely available, added drug take-back boxes for unneeded medication, improved funding for rehabilitation and started toward creation of a prescription database, opioid prescribing guidelines and more cautionary education about narcotics in medical schools, the governor noted. The naloxone alone has saved 800 lives so far, he said.

Beaver County Times: Casey visits Pittsburgh hospital, aims to reduce number of babies born into opioid dependence<http://act.padems.com/page/m/5dcdb8c0/2d698ac4/348bcf58/47507aff/498007151/VEsE/>

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, co-wrote the recently signed Protecting Our Infants Act. The law requires the Department of Health and Human Services develop recommendations for prevention and treatment of prenatal opioid abuse, develop a strategy to address research and provide states with technical assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help improve data-collecting efforts.

Pittsburgh Tribune Review: Pennsylvania governor urges rehab over prison to quell opioid epidemic<http://act.padems.com/page/m/5dcdb8c0/2d698ac4/348bcf58/47507afe/498007151/VEsF/>

The criminal justice system should ease punishments for nonviolent drug offenders as part of a broader effort to curb Pennsylvania's opioid epidemic, Gov. Tom Wolf said Thursday during a roundtable discussion with elected officials and health care professionals in Pittsburgh. “We can't arrest our way to success,” Wolf said. “We have to recognize that some people in the prison system shouldn't be in the prison system.”

WESA: Pittsburgh Hospital Deals With ‘Explosion’ Of Opioid Dependent Babies<http://act.padems.com/page/m/5dcdb8c0/2d698ac4/348bcf58/47507afd/498007151/VEsC/>

A November 2015 law sponsored by U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania) requires the federal Department of Health and Human Services to finish a broad study of the scope of opioid dependence in babies and pregnant women in about a year. Casey said the law requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to begin helping states collect statistics on opioid dependence in babies and pregnant women.

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