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U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) and U.S. Congressman Joe Kennedy III (MA-04), members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, today held an assembly at Harry S Truman High School in Taylor on youth opioid education and prevention. The Representatives were joined by more than 500 9th grade students for the event, which brought together educators, substance abuse counselors, elected officials, law enforcement, and community members addressing the opioid epidemic.

“The opioid epidemic is impacting too many families and young people in Michigan and across the country,” said Dingell. “We all have a role to play in fostering greater awareness and collaboration to tackle this growing crisis. Today’s assembly was about listening to our young people, learning about the trials and challenges they face, and educating and empowering them so they can support their peers and make informed decisions about their futures. We were honored to welcome Congressman Kennedy to Taylor to discuss this important issue, and I look forward to continuing to work with him and all stakeholders in our communities to strengthen education, prevention, treatment and recovery so we can reverse the trends of this awful epidemic.”

“Young people stand on the frontlines of our nation’s opioid epidemic,” said Kennedy. “Unafraid and unyielding, students create strong support systems for their peers, embrace loved ones battling addiction, and face their own personal challenges. With Congresswoman Debbie Dingell’s leadership in Congress and the stories of the students and local leaders I met today, we will continue to fight for a strong, comprehensive response to this epidemic on the federal level.”

“This was truly an amazing educational event that hit home with several of our students,” said Truman High School Principal Melissa R. Skopczynski. “We cannot thank Congresswoman Dingell, Congressman Kennedy, Representative Geiss, Judge Salomone, Judge Clifton, Acting Police Chief Blair, Fire Chief Portis, Simone Calvas, and Jeff Cook enough for joining forces to support the Downriver Community in dealing with this serious issue.”

“I’d like to thank Congresswoman Dingell and Congressman Kennedy for taking the time to talk to and listen to our students this morning; it was an honor to join them along with law enforcement and the Taylor School District and the substance abuse prevention community,” said State Representative Erika Geiss. “It was especially moving to hear Shelby’s story and I hope her telling it impacted the lives of the students in attendance this morning. As a member of the Michigan House, Taylor Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force, and FAN (Families Against Narcotics), I am committed to continuously working on this issue with community members like these students at the local, state and national levels to address substance abuse and prevention. By improving access to mental and behavioral health, we can begin to address some of the root causes that lead to substance abuse and addiction in our communities.”

Dingell and Kennedy were also joined by Superintendent of Taylor Schools Ben Williams; Assistant Superintendent Dr. Mary Ann Cyr; Simone Calvas, substance abuse prevention counselor for the Taylor Substance Abuse Prevention Taskforce; Jeff Cook, director of school-based health at Beaumont Health; Acting Chief of Police at the Taylor Police Department John Blair; Taylor Fire Chief Stephen Portis; Geno Salomone, chief judge of the 23rd District Court; Gregory Clifton, chief judge of the 25th District Court; and Shelby Chaltry, a young person in recovery in the District Court Regional Drug/Sobriety Treatment Program, who shared her personal story.

The impact of the opioid epidemic on young people is often overlooked. Over the past decade and a half, opioid poisonings have nearly doubled among children and adolescents. Research shows that any legitimate use of opioids before 12th grade confers a one third greater risk of non-medical opioid use in early adulthood.

As members of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force, Dingell and Kennedy are working together to stem the opioid epidemic through fully implementing and funding the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) and the 21st Century Cures Act, in addition to pursuing a multifaceted, collaborative public health and law enforcement approach to defeating the opioid epidemic, including through early education and prevention.