Former Secretary of State and current presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton, told a group of New Hampshire voters that she will make the “quiet epidemic” of substance abuse and mental health issues a focus in her campaign.
Clinton is holding small events in towns across the country to hear about problems affecting communities as she begins her Presidential Campaign. Recently, she was part of a roundtable discussion with about 20 employees of Whitney Brothers, a furniture manufacturer in Keene, NH, a key primary state. An employee mentioned that drugs were a growing problem in their community and Clinton responded by saying that substance abuse is “not just something we can brush under the rug.” She referred to the town of Austin, Indiana, where drug use and sharing of dirty needles led to an HIV outbreak. She said more resources should be spent on drug and alcohol treatment.
“I have to tell you, before I went to Iowa last week I wasn’t aware of the depth of feeling people had about substance abuse issues, so here again, I heard it in New Hampshire, so I want people to know that I’m listening,” Clinton told reporters after the event.
