Hillary Clinton Campaign Begins Drafting Policy Solutions To Heroin Epidemic

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/18/hillary-clinton-heroin_n_7309930.html

WASHINGTON — After hearing story after story from voters on the campaign trail about heroin’s toll, Hillary Clinton instructed her policy team to draw up solutions to the burgeoning opiate epidemic.

A Clinton aide told The Huffington Post that the Democratic presidential candidate decided to make mental health and drug addiction a major campaign issue after stops in Iowa and New Hampshire, where she kept hearing from people that the problem needs more attention. It’s the type of issue that may not get much attention inside the Beltway and on Sunday talk shows, but opiate addiction has become a devastating problem.

Clinton brought it up on Monday during a stop in Iowa, telling supporters that she wants to “end the stigma against talking about it.” …

Under comments:

Kathy Kokotis · Top Commenter · Indiana University
I am not surprised at the heroin overdose issue. The DEA made it almost impossible to get pain control medications for those in pain with their new rules. My 81 year old mother who has rheumatoid arthritis has a terrible time getting pain control. We have pee tests, drug contracts, CVS never has stock so we drive [from] CVS to CVS. The hurdles to keep my mom to some extent pain free are gigantic. I told her at some point heroin is the next step if we legally cannot get pain medications. I have read that many have turned to heroin as they no longer can get pain medications for chronic pain.