WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) today joined Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in hosting a bipartisan forum on Capitol Hill to discuss ways to help communities in New Hampshire and across the country fight drug addiction and support individuals in recovery. Today's forum was the third in a series of bipartisan briefings the Senators have hosted to explore ways to better support addiction treatment and recovery.

In her remarks, Senator Ayotte shared the personal story of Newton, New Hampshire residents Doug and Pam Griffin, who tragically lost their daughter Courtney to a recent heroin overdose. The Griffins have courageously shared their experience in an effort to help other families who have loved ones that are struggling with addiction. Senator Ayotte also discussed input she has received from first responders, health care professionals, and treatment providers who are on the front lines of New Hampshire's drug crisis.

"Just last week, I met with a New Hampshire family who tragically lost their 20-year-old daughter to a heroin overdose. Too many families in New Hampshire and across the country are finding themselves in the same place as this family," said Senator Ayotte. "Today's bipartisan forum was an important opportunity to share insights and expertise as we look for the most effective ways to help our communities fight addiction and help individuals in recovery. We cannot arrest our way out of this problem - we need to take a multi-faceted approach that includes law enforcement, prevention, treatment, and education."

Ayotte, the state's former attorney general, has taken several steps in the Senate to support efforts to combat New Hampshire's growing drug epidemic - helping introduce the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act -- to increase drug abuse prevention efforts, improve treatment for those struggling with addiction, ensure law enforcement has greater access to the necessary tools to fight drug abuse, and better support individuals in recovery. She is a cosponsor of legislation that would make it easier to prohibit synthetic drugs, and introduced the bipartisan Heroin and Prescription Opioid Abuse Prevention, Education, and Enforcement Act. She also has hosted a series of roundtable discussions throughout the state this year with first responders, health care professionals, and law enforcement officials to hear feedback on ways to reverse this deadly trend.
In addition to the Senators, speakers at today's forum also included Michael Botticelli, Acting Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The day's first panel discussion, "Understanding the Science of Addiction," was moderated by Peter Palanca, COO of Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC) Illinois and featured Dr. Nora D. Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Dr. A. Thomas McLellan, Chair of the Board and Co-Founder of the Treatment Research Institute.

The day's second panel discussion, "Addressing Collateral Consequences of Addiction," was moderated by Carol McDaid from Faces and Voices of Recovery. Participants included Amy Solomon, Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs; Gary C. Mohr, Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections; Bill Williams and Margot Head, New York residents whose son died from a heroin overdose; Danielle Tarino, Public Health Advisor at the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration and a woman in long-term recovery; and Linda Hurley, Director of Clinical Services and Chief Operating Officer at CODAC Behavioral Healthcare in Rhode Island.

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