WASHINGTON— During a phone call with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell on Tuesday, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) inquired about next steps and urged HHS to allocate funding to Connecticut to combat the opioid crisis as soon as possible. Murphy spoke personally with Secretary Burwell over the phone just before President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act, which authorizes $1 billion in emergency funding to fight the opioid epidemic, into law. Secretary Burwell and HHS are responsible for allocating the $1 billion to states across the country. Once states apply and receive the money, they would be eligible to spend it on improving prescription drug monitoring programs, implementing prevention activities, training for health care providers, and expanding access to opioid treatment programs.

“Connecticut has seen over 700 drug-related deaths in just the last year. Treatment centers have months-long waiting lists and families looking for help have nowhere to turn,” said Murphy. “I called Secretary Burwell today because Connecticut needs funding to put an end to this epidemic. HHS and Secretary Burwell have been incredible partners to Connecticut in expanding access to treatment and fighting this crisis so far, but I made it clear today that Connecticut needs emergency funding to spare more families from the devastation of addiction.”

Murphy is co-author of the bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act, which will expand federal resources and improve coordination for mental health and substance abuse treatment programs. Murphy also supported the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) signed into law this year, and has been a leader in calling for additional resources for federal programs that treat and prevent opioid use and addiction. Earlier this year, Murphy spent a “Day in the Life” meeting with patients, health professionals, law enforcement, and advocates around Connecticut to learn firsthand how he can improve federal efforts to combat Connecticut’s addiction crisis and save lives. In Connecticut, deaths caused by drug overdoses have skyrocketed. In 2015, 729 Connecticut residents died from drug overdoses, including 415 heroin-related deaths.

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