In Cleveland Today, Brown and Portman Examine Ohio's Opioid Epidemic

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH), and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) held a public hearing in Cleveland on the impact of the opioid epidemic in Ohio. Senator Brown, author of the Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Reduction Act, and Portman, a member of HSGAC and the author of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), heard testimony from experts and those are on the front lines in the battle against addiction.

“This issue has hit every community across the state, but it is particularly acute here in northeast Ohio. Last year in Cuyahoga County, at least one Ohioan died every day from a drug overdose,” said Brown. “It’s time for us to get serious, and call this what it is – a public health crisis that demands real, immediate investment. You can’t look at the spike in the number of deaths and conclude anything else.”

“Cleveland has been hit especially hard by the addiction epidemic,” Portman said. “Cleveland has a lot to teach the country about how serious the threat of addiction is, as well as about effective prevention and treatment. The reason why the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, legislation I co-authored in the United States Senate, passed 94 to 1 is because we consulted with public health experts, doctors, and patients in recovery.  This hearing is the next step as we continue our efforts to reverse the tide of addiction and save lives.”

The purpose of the hearing was to examine the addiction epidemic, including prescription opioids, heroin, and fentanyl, and its adverse and enduring effects on lives, families, and communities in Northeast Ohio, as well as efforts to prevent and treat those suffering from addiction to these substances. 

Witnesses included Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Carole Rendon, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Director Tracy Plouck, doctors from University Hospital and Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Children and Family Futures Director Nancy Young, Project DAWN Program Coordinator Emily Metz, and Robby’s Voice founder Rob Brandt. These witnesses, from a broad variety of backgrounds, spoke about prevention, law enforcement, and treatment.

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