NACCHO, representing the country’s nearly 3,000 local health departments sent a letter to Congress to help inform their oversight of the opioid crisis.  As noted in NACCHO’s 2019 report, Local Health Department Approaches to Opioid Use Prevention and Response: An Environmental Scan, local health departments across the country are engaged in a wide range of activities to prevent substance misuse, treat those affected, and save lives. The letter, written ahead of a House hearing this week on the opioid crisis, emphasizes the importance of funding for education and upstream prevention efforts established by local health departments.

Read the complete letter.