Today’s Senate Drug Caucus field hearing is meant to highlight and
discuss Iowa’s efforts in drug control policy. I look forward to an interesting
conversation and chance to learn about current Iowa drug trends, pressing
issues and seeing how I can continue fighting for Iowans from Congress.
Drug policy experts and scholars often note that successful drug
control should be based on a three-legged stool approach, with three
complementary legs representing prevention, treatment and enforcement.
Each leg of the stool is necessary to support the other. In the
absence of one leg, the stool is unsteady.
These three issues can and should complement each other.
Sometimes, one leg of the stool will demand more than the others;
that’s bound to happen in a dynamic and changing policy area. But a balanced
and complete response is certainly something we should strive for.
That’s why I’m pleased today’s panel is made up of experts
representing each leg of the stool. I’m looking forward to hearing from each of
you in your respective fields of prevention, treatment and enforcement.
Every year on my 99 county tour, I hear from Iowans on a host of
drug issues, ranging from preventing youth use of marijuana to stopping
traffickers from spreading deadly drugs.
I have a few things I’d like to make sure we talk about today
since they’re priority items in Congress and certainly impact Iowa.
First, we’re dealing with an unprecedented wave of fentanyl and
its analogues. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that
over 93,000 Americans died from a drug overdose in 2020. This is the highest
number in a generation.
We
know overdose deaths impact rural communities at a greater rate.
Fentanyl and similar synthetic drugs are the main drivers for
these record-breaking increases. I’m dedicated to making sure that Congress
permanently controls fentanyl analogues.
Too many have died from these drugs. Enough is enough.
I’m also working on bipartisan efforts to proactively schedule
synthetic drugs. To skirt the law, drug dealers modify illicit substances.
These knock-offs are similar to controlled drugs, but because they’re new and
constantly changing, they aren’t captured by the law.
This loophole can be deadly because law enforcement can’t identify
the drugs. We must be more nimble in our approach to synthetic drugs.
The issues of scheduling fentanyl analogues and synthetic drugs
show the importance of enforcement. While that’s critical, I also want to
highlight prevention and treatment.
I’ve long supported drug prevention programs. They help stop drug
use at the outset and can save the taxpayer dollars.
In fact, I worked on legislation starting the Drug-Free
Communities program, which leads efforts in mobilizing communities to prevent
and reduce youth substance use.
I also helped launch Face It Together - or FIT. This was the
nation’s first statewide anti-drug effort offering citizens strategies to combat
illicit drug use in their hometowns.
Likewise, treatment is critical. Too many of us know someone who
has struggled with substance use disorder.
I’m grateful that Rod Courtney of North Liberty, Iowa is here
today to share his story and highlight his work to help families and
individuals grappling with addiction.
Iowans have a lot to be proud of and many of our drug control
initiatives have succeeded. But we must be tireless in keeping drugs off our
streets, preventing drug abuse and treating addiction nationwide and in Iowa.
Thank you again to our witnesses for being here today and I look
forward to your testimony.
