Congressman Tom Rice Hosts Symposium to Combat the Opioid Epidemic in the 7th District

Press Release

Congressman Tom Rice (R-S.C.) today held the 7th Congressional District Opioid Symposium at Coastal Carolina University to combat the opioid crisis that is occurring in the 7th District and around the country.

"Opioid deaths have spiked across the country amid the coronavirus. It's the perfect storm. You have folks in social isolation, locked at home, unable to interact with their support systems. Many folks were out of work, losing paychecks - all this in addition to dealing with depression and fear about the virus. There isn't a doubt this spike is directly related to the pandemic. I wanted to convene this opioid summit to gather experts and the folks who can make a real dent what is going on here in South Carolina. We lost 1,730 South Carolinians last year -- the highest number ever recorded from drug overdoses in our state. In 2020, I'm saddened to state that South Carolina had the 4th highest increase in overdose deaths of any state in the Nation. This problem is right in our backyard," said Congressman Rice. "I hope together we can evaluate where we are in the fight, how much progress we've made since the last 7th Congressional District Opioid Symposium, and come up with a plan to move forward -- especially in light of the new data showing such a drastic spike in overdoses in our state."

The symposium consisted of multiple panels comprised of state and local law enforcement, judicial officials, nonprofit partners, and healthcare professionals who provided insight and evaluation of how they are working to combat the opioid crisis at the local level. Officials from DHEC (South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control) and DAODAS (South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services) participated.

Alongside the panelists, Congressman Rice discussed opioid legislation and funding at the federal level. Congressman Rice is currently co-sponsoring four bills to help fight the opioid epidemic in the 117th U.S. House of Representatives: H.R 654: Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act, H.R. 2355: Opioid Prescription Verification Act, H.R. 1910: Federal Initiative To Guarantee Health by Targeting Fentanyl Act, and H.R. 2591 DUMP Opioids Act (which was recently signed into law on June 29, 2021).

Congressman Rice has voted in favor of countless opioid legislative packages during his time in Congress with the goal of reducing access, addictions, and manufacturing of these drugs as well as aiding with recovery efforts and task force findings.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, drug overdose deaths in South Carolina increased by 51.9% in 2020, much higher than the national average. South Carolina ranks 4th among states for the highest increase in fatal overdoses in 2020.

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