Ayotte Statement During Red Ribbon Week

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte released a statement commemorating Red Ribbon Week, which runs from October 23 - 31, 2016 and serves to encourage individuals to live drug-free lifestyles and recognize those on the front lines of the opioid abuse epidemic. The theme of 2016 Red Ribbon week is "YOLO: Be Drug Free."

"Red Ribbon Week is an opportunity to promote drug prevention efforts and healthy and substance-free lifestyles for all ages. Through education and local programs, we can also work to boost youth-focused prevention initiatives, which will help stem the tide of addiction in New Hampshire," said Senator Ayotte. "It is also a time to recognize the tireless work of those on front lines of this epidemic - including first responders, law enforcement and advocates. In the Senate, I have been a strong supporter of programs to provide more resources for those on the front lines, including our law enforcement community as they work to interdict illegal drugs and fight crime associated with drug trafficking.

In the Senate, Ayotte has been a consistent supporter of Drug-Free Communities (DFC) funding for New Hampshire and the rest of the country, and has pushed for greater resources for community-based prevention efforts to address the opioid abuse crisis. Ayotte co-authored and helped introduce the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which was signed into law in July 2016 and makes organizations that have received DFC grants eligible to receive additional funding to implement comprehensive community-wide strategies to address local drug crises. CARA also includes a provision calling on the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement a public education and prevention campaign to further encourage community efforts to raise awareness on the dangers of prescription drug abuse, heroin, and fentanyl.

Ayotte has also been a strong advocate for additional resources to better support the crime fighting efforts of local law enforcement, including grants to address the worsening backlog at the NH State Police Forensic Lab and legislation to protect first responders who administer life-saving opioid overdose reversal drugs, such as Narcan. Ayotte authored legislation to reauthorize the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program, and has called on the Senate Appropriations Committee to provide strong funding for it. Due to Ayotte's efforts, the Appropriations Committee included $384 million for this program, which is an $8 million increase over FY 2016.

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