Blumenthal: Parents Must Help Combat Drug Crisis In Connecticut
NEW LONDON, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- Parents in Connecticut are being called upon to help fight a ballooning drug addiction crisis.
In just three years, deaths in the state from heroin and other strong painkillers are expected to almost double, jumping from 355 in 2012 to nearly 700 projected when 2015 statistics are finalized.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said a meaningful public health effort must be launched, especially for parents because children often are tempted to experiment with prescribed painkillers discovered in the bedside drawer or in the bathroom cabinet.
"Everybody is susceptible, every child in every family," Blumenthal told WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau. "So this is a cause that has to bring us together in a common effort."
In a Sunday editorial, the Connecticut Post called on Gov. Dannel Malloy to declare a drug epidemic emergency. That would free up federal funds to help combat the growing crisis in the state.
