- New Hampshire had the second-highest drug overdose death rate in 2015, but that number is on the rise again, reaching 486 deaths in 2022.
- Some New Hampshire residents have expressed skepticism about whether the current presidential candidates will effectively address the opioid crisis.
- Former Governor Chris Christie, who led a bipartisan commission on opioid abuse, advocates for an approach that recognizes the humanity of victims.
Christina Amiotto's life has improved dramatically since the last New Hampshire primary, but she's not confident the current candidates can help others achieve the same success.
Amiot, 36, spent more than half her life battling addictions, primarily heroin, before joining Hope on Heaven Hill, a comprehensive program for pregnant women and mothers. I did. The program includes residential treatment, transitional housing, and a wide range of support services. Now she is financially independent and has a job, an apartment and a loving family.
“I never want to go through that again,” she said in an interview last week. “I have self-respect now.”
New Hampshire's opioid crisis is a key issue for presidential candidates
New Hampshire is a small state that plays a big role in presidential politics, but candidates have been promising action on the opioid crisis in several presidential elections so far. And some people closest to the issue say they are frustrated that Republicans heading into Tuesday's primary are focused on borders and law enforcement rather than treatment and recovery.
Christina Amiotte sits on the porch of her sober home in Rochester, New Hampshire, on January 12, 2024. Amiott, 36, has spent more than half her life battling addictions, primarily heroin. I spent a lot of time there. New Hampshire has seen an increase in drug overdose deaths in recent years, and some residents want to hear more from presidential candidates about how they can help. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Amiot isn't sure whether she will vote in Tuesday's presidential primary, partly because she is skeptical that anything will change.
“It feels like every four years it's talked about and then forgotten about. We don't do much about it, but this should be one of our top priorities, so We need to change,” she said. “It's really sad to think that these people don't care about us.”
New Hampshire Governor Sununu warns about fentanyl addiction: 'Cartel-driven crisis'
Beginning with the overprescription of opioid painkillers in the late 1990s, the country's drug crisis has evolved to include heroin and then fentanyl, and in recent years fentanyl has been increasingly used in other street drugs without the user's knowledge. has increased. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 80,000 people will die from opioid overdose in 2022.
In 2015, New Hampshire had the second highest drug overdose death rate in the nation. Since then, the state has made progress, but the numbers have increased again. The final death toll for 2022 will be 486, just four shy of the all-time high for New Hampshire, a state of about 1.4 million people.
“New Hampshire is losing more than one life a day,” said Kelly Norton, who co-founded Hope on Heaven Hill in Rochester in 2016. Communities, states, families and friends are still losing loved ones. ”
Republican lawmakers campaigning in New Hampshire this week are primarily focused on stemming the flow of illegal drugs at the U.S. southern border.
Former President Donald Trump, who once called New Hampshire a “drug den,” has proposed sending in the military to fight foreign drug cartels, and has spoken out against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nicky Trump. Haley also expressed a similar view. DeSantis also said drug smugglers should be “stoned dead” and shot, and Haley suggested cutting off trade with China “until they stop killing Americans with fentanyl.” China has been criticized by many experts for allowing the export of precursor chemicals used to make synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
But that's only part of the equation, argues Jay Ruis, a Republican who took office this month as mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city.
“I think we have to address the demand side as well. What are we doing for prevention for kids in schools? And what are we doing for people who need treatment? Treatment? What are you doing for people who are not receiving it?’ And on the recovery side, housing is a big factor as well,” Rue said. “We need a coordinated response that addresses everything from A to Z.”
During his campaign, Lue said completing a court-ordered rehabilitation program after his second DUI arrest in 2010 gave him greater empathy for people struggling with addiction.
“This is a very personal issue for me. It's why I ran for mayor in the first place,” he said. “But I certainly think candidates who come to speak in New Hampshire should talk about this issue.”
After two major jumps early in the coronavirus disease (COVD-19) pandemic, the number of drug overdose deaths nationwide will increase by 2% to nearly 110,000 in 2022. In New Hampshire, overdose deaths significantly decreased before the pandemic and remained stable in 2020, in part because hospitals collaborated with local health care providers to treat patients. This is also thanks to the creation of a hub-and-spoke model called “Doorway,” which connects people to nearby services. home. However, the number of deaths in the state in 2022 was 486, an 11% increase from the previous year.
More than anything, Norton said he would like to see a president who recognizes that substance use disorder is a disease and treats this crisis as a public health emergency. Punitive policies can't help people who end up in programs because of trauma, abuse or lack of connection, she said.
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“I'm not an expert at all on how border control helps,” she says. “What I know is that helping people get affordable health care, affordable housing, and basic rights and supports will help us here in New Hampshire. ”
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who led the bipartisan White House Commission on Opioid Abuse during the Trump administration, spoke at the National Drug Policy Plan at the Hope-on-Heaven Hill Wellness Center in December, weeks before leaving office. I echoed that approach when I announced . of lace.
“We need an approach that remembers and reflects the fundamental humanity of each of the 100,000 victims and the treasure each of them must have brought to this country.”
This message resonated with Amiotte. Ms. Amiot was in the audience that day and plans to be present when Haley visits the center on Wednesday. Having a woman in the White House could make a difference, she said.
“We can't continue as usual for the next four years because it's going to be very bad,” she said. “It's a very bad situation right now, but we're not doing much about it.”
