While Washington has a long-held and well-earned reputation for gridlock, last month was a clear display of what can be accomplished when partisan differences are cast aside for the greater good. Acknowledging the dire need to address the nation’s growing opioid addiction crisis, Republicans and Democrats made a statement by passing CARA, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, in a resounding 94-1 vote.

I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this bipartisan legislation, which helps gives states and local communities the resources they need to fight opioid addiction and educate the public.

CARA expands abuse prevention and educational initiatives aimed at preventing younger Americans from succumbing to addiction and its cycle of destruction and despair. It addresses the tremendous burden the addiction crisis is placing on our criminal justice system by providing more tools to identify and treat incarcerated Americans, which in turn increases their chances of successfully reintegrating back into society upon release.

The legislation also increases the availability of naloxone to first responders across the nation. Naloxone is a powerful, yet safe medicine that can reverse overdoses and ultimately save lives. It will also help reduce the burden that overdoses place on our hospitals, doctors, and nurses, as in 2011, there were more than 250,000 emergency room visits related to heroin use.

Another key component of CARA is that it provides additional support for substance abuse agencies, local governments, and non-profit organizations in areas in North Carolina and the rest of the nation that are being hit the hardest by heroin and painkiller abuse.

Last month, I had the privilege of visiting TROSA, a long-term residential substance abuse recovery program located right here in Durham. What makes this program unique is that it is completely free of charge to substance abusers who want to receive help.

It’s tough not to walk out of TROSA impressed and inspired by the cutting-edge rehabilitation services and the remarkable staff members who are committed to helping residents break their substance dependency.

Addiction can happen more easily and quickly than anyone can imagine. It can start with a reasonable prescription for pain medication after a surgery. Once the body becomes physically dependent, good people can begin to make poor decisions: resorting to the black market to purchase more painkillers after their prescription runs out, or turning to even deadlier opiate-based drugs such as heroin.

In 2014, 1,358 North Carolinians lost their lives due to drug overdoses, fueled primarily by painkiller and heroin abuse. We cannot allow this to continue.

The fight against addiction requires all of us to work together. It will be neither quick, nor easy. It will require non-profit organizations like TROSA to continue helping people turn their lives around and get a second chance at fulfilling their dreams. It will require us to keep pressure on our elected officials at the federal, state, and local levels to be engaged and support commonsense legislation like CARA that can and will make a difference.

Simply put, the fight against addiction is one we must wage, and one we cannot afford to lose.

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