•
BIDDEFORD, Maine

UNE Vice President of Research and Scholarship attends Senate hearing on heroin abuse epidemic

Ed Bilsky talks with Senator Angus King
Ed Bilsky talks with Senator Angus King

University of New England vice president of Research and Scholarship Edward Bilsky, Ph.D., attended a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on the current heroin and prescription drug misuse crisis in the United States. The Committee is considering the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which would encourage states and local communities to take a multi-pronged approach to combating addiction.

While in Washington, Bilsky met with Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a cosponsor of the bill, along with staff members for Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) and Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire). Senator Shaheen spoke in support of the Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, which would authorize the immediate spending of $600 million on government agencies tasked with research, intervention and recovery. Senator King is also a cosponsor of the legislation.

UNE has a long-standing commitment to improving education, prevention and treatment of chronic pain and substance misuse disorders; training future health care practitioners in responsible prescription practices; and exploring methods of treatment outside of prescription drugs. In addition, researchers at UNE are seeking improved pharmaceutical methods to treat chronic pain and curb addiction. Bilsky is among a team of scientists recently awarded a $4.5 million, five-year grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop opioid drugs for the treatment of chronic pain with fewer adverse effects than currently marketed opioid pain-relief medications. The UNE team of scientists and educators also delivers one of the most comprehensive medical curriculums with respect to pain and substance misuse topics.

“I am encouraged by the bipartisan support for legislation that will address the opioid crisis in a comprehensive and thoughtful way, and I am proud that our senators from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont are among the leaders on this issue,” said Bilsky. “The University of New England has been well ahead of the curve in providing timely and robust training to our medical, pharmacy, dental and health professional students on best practices in pain management, substance misuse and mental health topics.”

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.