Right now, opioid abuse and addiction are spreading across our country at an alarming rate. At this very moment, roughly 6.5 million Americans are abusing prescription drugs. And what’s worse, nearly 80 Americans die every single day from an opioid overdose.

In North Carolina alone, deaths involving opioid pain medications have increased by more than 400 percent from 1999 to 2012. The crisis continues to make its way into every corner of our state — from Dare County to Cherokee County and every county in between. It doesn’t discriminate between large and small communities or urban and rural ones. Not a single community is immune to the impact of opioid addiction, abuse and the devastating consequences.

While these statistics are absolutely heartbreaking, this isn’t about numbers or figures. This is about our neighbors, our friends and our family members who are suffering from prescription drug and opioid abuse. These are real people battling addiction. In fact, a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that one in five Americans say they have a family member who has been addicted to prescription painkillers.

As a member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I’ve been working with my colleagues to lead the charge and find ways to help families and those affeccted by opioid and drug addiction. Last year, I hosted a roundtable discussion in Charlotte to focus on ways to combat this epidemic with Charlotte Mayor Dan Clodfelter, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Capt. Coerte Voorhees, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools Director of Arts, Health and Physical Education Debra Kaclik and Fred Brason, executive director of Project Lazarus, which is a community based opioid overdose prevention model in Wilkes County.

I brought this group together to raise awareness and learn what the federal government can do to better coordinate with local folks who are on the front lines. It was an important discussion, and one that proved we can’t sweep this issue under the rug. We have to unite to help find ways to turn this crisis around, save lives and restore our community.

Make no mistake, the opioid epidemic demands a national response, and last week we moved another step forward. The House passed 18 bipartisan bills to promote innovative treatment and care, support local officials, prevent addiction in teenagers and adolescents, and turn this crisis around. One bill, the Jason Simcakoski PROMISE Act, will make it safer for veterans to seek opioid therapy and pain management care.

In this process, we’re also working to ensure that our tax dollars are going to programs with effective, evidence-based and positive outcomes. I’m pleased that these bills passed with strong bipartisan support. Now, the House and Senate will go to conference with our separate packages to work out the differences and get this important legislation to the president’s desk.

While we are working to address the opioid epidemic, there is still much more work to do. Two important pieces of the puzzle to putting a stop to this epidemic are education and awareness within our local communities.

If you or someone you know needs help with substance abuse, please contact the North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services at 919-715-3197 or find your local center for help and information at www.ncdhhs.gov. And last, but not least, please join me in praying for all individuals and familes suffering from crisis.

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Richard Hudson, a Republican from Concord, represents the 8th District in the U.S. House, which includes most of Robeson County under maps that are being disputes to see if they are constitutional.