Opioid epidemic emerges as key issue in 18th Congressional District special election

In the final stretch in the race for the 18th Congressional District seat, the opioid epidemic has emerged as one of the biggest issues in the battle between Rick Saccone and Conor Lamb.

"It's a problem all throughout the state of Pennsylvania, rural or not, and I think fighting it has become our next big social problem, and I think both of these candidates are addressing it," said Bill Green, WPXI's political analyst.

Both Republican Saccone and Democrat Lamb are talking about it but in different ways.

Saccone said as a state representative, he supported legislation promoting access to treatment, and since enacting the legislation, he said there has been a 12 percent drop in opioid prescriptions.

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Saccone said he's ready to take on this and other issues in Washington.

"I serve on judiciary now, many of the things that they're hearing testimony on, in Congress are issues that we are faced with in the Pennsylvania state House," Saccone said.

Meanwhile, Lamb, a former federal prosecutor who worked with families who lost loved ones to heroin, said the government hasn't done enough and needs to take a much bigger role.

"I learned from them and from all my work. Our response as a government to that problem has been too slow. The declaration of an emergency is long overdue and I think that's not good enough so I'd like to go to Washington and change that," said Lamb.

Voters in the 18th Congressional District head to the polls tomorrow for the special election.

Cox Media Group