SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Congresswoman and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Michelle Lujan Grisham is promising to change New Mexico's reputation as the heroin capital of the nation.
Lujan Grisham launched a 30 second video advertisement on Tuesday that says opioids and crime are problems all across New Mexico, and that as governor she would force pharmaceutical companies to "stop pushing opioids and start paying for treatment."
Overdose deaths in New Mexico have hovered well above the national average even as the state has implemented pioneering policies to rein in fatalities. The crisis drew attention this year as President Trump praised an Albuquerque police officer for agreeing to adopt the unborn baby of a pregnant heroin user.
Lujan Grisham's ad says the state reduced overdoses through treatment when she was secretary of health, without citing statistics.