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By Dave Copeland, Andover Patch (Excerpt)
The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
Opioid addiction. It is a public health crisis. We should not simply brush it aside with arrests and incarceration. Instead, my efforts would focus on prevention and treatment. I support programs that educate youth about addiction and identify and support students at risk, as well as ones that educate doctors about safer prescription management. We can also save more lives by increasing the availability of the overdose reversal agent Naloxone (Narcan) to first responders and caregivers and supporting long-term treatments, including housing for recovering addicts and treatment beds for those suffering from addiction. Prevention and long-term treatment are how we rescue our community from this deadly affliction.