Senator Mitch McConnell spoke at the Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky in Covington on Thursday morning, and discussed the passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) with members of the region’s law enforcement community.
That portion of the Senate Majority Leader’s day was off-limits to the media, but McConnell made time for local reporters afterwards when he was joined by Kenton County Police Chief Spike Jones and Children’s Home CEO Rick Wurth.
“We used to think that Northern Kentucky was the epicenter (of a heroin crisis) but we’ve learned it’s bad everywhere,” McConnell said. “We have a national epidemic.”
Because of that, federal lawmakers are pushing to make more funding available in the forms of grants. McConnell said that he is optimistic that a bill, already approved by the Senate, will be signed into law making some $400 million available for the fight against heroin.
“This is not a new problem for us,” Jones said. “You can’t simply solve the problem by putting handcuffs on it.” Jones advocates for what he called a “three-legged stool” approach that involves law enforcement, treatment, and education.Â
In Northern Kentucky, those three legs are all being deployed but the region has seen a continued increase in overdose patients admitted to area hospitals. Jails in Kenton and Campbell Counties are overcrowded and adding to treatment programs, a needle exchange is likely on the way to Covington, and local law enforcement officials are operating under a robust heroin bill approved by lawmakers in Frankfort last year that is designed to punish traffickers more harshly.Â
But still, the overdoses continue to rise.
For McConnell, at the federal level, the answer is more funding. “The House (of Representatives) will act soon. I think it is on a fast track,” he said. “I think everybody is overwhelmed.” The senator noted that Kentucky was successful at cracking down on prescription drug abuse, but that solution created a new problem in widespread heroin addiction as addicts sought replacement opioids. “It took off like a wildfire across the country.”
McConnell referenced the Presidential primaries taking place and how the issue of drug abuse entered into the conversation since former candidates Carly Fiorina, the ex-tech exec, lost a stepdaughter to drug abuse and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie discussed the loss of people close to him due to the same thing.
“All you can do is provide funding,” McConnell said. “About the best we can do is provide the most funding we can.”
Michael Monks, editor & publisher
