Ellmers helps lead introduction of bill to reduce opioid use, abuse

U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) helped introduce legislation on Monday to bolster clinical research to develop alternatives to opioids for long-term pain management, reducing the necessity to prescribe potentially addicting opioids.

The Safe Treatments and Opportunities to Prevent (STOP) Pain Act, H.R. 5249, introduced by U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) with U.S. Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) and Ellmers, would authorize the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to focus on the development of alternative drugs in the wake of the nation’s opioid abuse epidemic.

“The opioid epidemic has reached new proportions across our nation and even at home – claiming more than 1,000 lives in North Carolina each year,” Ellmers said. “Just within the last month, four towns in our state were named in the top 20 nationally for opioid abuse, including Fayetteville in the second district.” 

Those statistics warrant action, Ellmers said, which is why she joined Capps in introducing the STOP Pain Act.

“This legislation allows us to discover and develop solutions to drug abuse and opioid addiction through continued research and development,” Ellmers said. “I’m optimistic our efforts will help to save lives and prevent addiction before it begins.” 

Capps noted that 129 people die every day in the United States from prescription drug overdoses.

“As this crisis worsens, our nation’s scientific community must direct attention to better understanding the causes of pain in order to better diagnose and treat it,” Capp said. “The STOP Pain Act would enhance the research being done at the National Institutes of Health in this area — particularly chronic pain, to improve treatments and long-term pain management so that we can stop opioid abuse before it starts.”

U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced a Senate version of the bill, S. 2678, in March.