State of recovery remains top concern

DOVER — U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan talked about the state of recovery during a crowded legislative breakfast Monday morning in Dover.
The room was filled with state senators, state representatives, service providers and those in recovery from substance misuse who came together to talk about some victories in the state of recovery and some challenges that remain, particularly in the area of funding.
Coinciding with National Recovery Month, the breakfast at the SOS Recovery Organization’s Dover’s location was titled, “State of Recovery Supports in Strafford County.” It provided an update on recovery efforts and funding challenges in the region as well as the personal stories of those in long-term recovery from substance misuse.
The breakfast came on the heels of the finalized 2016 overdose death data in New Hampshire released last week by the medical examiner’s office. In 2016, 485 people died of drug overdoses, a 10 percent increase over the 2015 death count.
John Burns, director of the SOS Recovery Organization, highlighted the death count as evidence of inaction by state and federal policymakers in the ongoing opiate crisis. “We need a lot more action and a lot less meetings,” he said. “We had 485 of our loved ones die while we’re talking about this.”

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