Charleston Daily Mail - Tennant Unveils Substance Abuse Agenda

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By Whitney Burdette

A statewide problem with substance abuse has affected jobs and education.

That's why U.S. Senate candidate Natalie Tennant, a Democrat, has made substance abuse an issue in her campaign.

"You can have all the good paying jobs in the world but if you don't have the skilled workers it doesn't do a whole lot of good," she said.

Tennant unveiled the fourth part of her policy agenda, this one focusing on substance abuse solutions, on Wednesday. She said in traveling the state and meeting with constituents, she's heard stories of substance abuse and how it has affected families and communities. It's something that affects almost everyone, she said.

"As I meet with folks and talk with folks about getting good paying jobs, education, when I talk no matter where I go and I talk about investing in solving the drug abuse crisis, every head in the room shakes up and down," Tennant said. "When you look closer, you can see it on their faces. You can see eyes get red and watery. There are people going through it now and know exactly what I'm talking about. What is the overall approach? We have to make this a focal point.

"I haven't seen this at a national level. As a U.S. senator, I will be able to make Washington pay attention."

Tennant's agenda looks at several aspects, including prevention, treatment, enforcement, mental health and solutions for rural areas. To meet those needs, Tennant said she'd support continued federal funding for prevention and educational programs.

"You need the dollars for it and that's why the (Community Oriented Policing Services) program is so vital for the local communities and law enforcement," she said. "That's the key to addressing this crisis. It's not just one area that is going to solve the problem. More law enforcement is not necessarily going to solve it but if we can give the tools to our sheriffs, our deputies, our state police for them, that's going to be important."

Tennant said she'd also support measures "that crack down on doctors who over-prescribe," as well as programs that develop proper medication disposal programs.

During her time in the U.S. House of Representatives, Tennant's Republican opponent Shelley Moore Capito supported similar programs. According to spokeswoman Amy Graham, Capito worked with Jackson County law enforcement to fight drug activity in the community, and she worked with Fruth Pharmacy to prevent pseudoephedrine, a common meth-making ingredient, from falling into the wrong hands.

Additionally, she co-sponsored a bill to reclassify hydrocodone as a Schedule II narcotic, which would establish stricter protocols. The Food and Drug Administration recommended last fall that the reclassification move forward. She also worked to maintain and increase funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program and the Drug Free Communities Program, which President Obama threatened to cut in his budget. She also supports Lilly's Place, which helps babies born addicted, and other federal efforts to curb drug abuse.

"Everyone agrees the drug epidemic in West Virginia absolutely must be resolved," Graham said. "Shelley Moore Capito has a long history of fighting this scourge on West Virginia families."

Tennant said if she's elected, she would work to put West Virginia families first, even if that means working against lobbyists paid by big pharmaceutical companies. She said she's concerned about Zohydro, a drug used to treat cancer patients but is sold on the street and can be crushed and snorted.

"We don't need those on the streets," Tennant said. "From the U.S. Senate, a national point of view, it's time to crack down. We can't let that happen on our streets in our communities in West Virginia. I'm not there to be friends with (lobbyists). I'm there to take care of West Virginia and make sure we solve the drug crisis. They should be producing medications and painkillers that are tamper resistant. They can do that. That's where you put people before profit."

Tennant is asking for public comment on her four policy agendas. To read the agenda and leave a comment, visit www.natalietennant.com.

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