U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, was presented an award by the Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose for his bipartisan work in fighting the opioid misuse and overdose epidemic. Upton was honored for his support of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). Upton chaired the House and Senate Conference meeting that finalized the comprehensive package before it was signed into law by President Obama in July.

“I’m honored to receive this award, but we know more work remains,” said Upton. “Each day folks struggle with opioid misuse and an overdose can tragically snuff out a life in an instant. Nearly every 12 minutes, someone dies of a drug overdose here in America. It is a sad reality playing out in communities here in Southwest Michigan and across the country. Congress acted and got the job done, but we should continue to focus on these issues and improving the quality of life for all Americans.”

The Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose is an organization of more than 40 local, regional, and national groups that are committed to advancing meaningful legislative and regulatory policies in response to the opioid epidemic. According to a recent Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, more than half of Americans (56 percent) say that they or someone they know has misused, been addicted to, or died from prescription pain medications.