Washington DC – Representatives Tim Ryan (pictured) (OH-13) and Marcia Fudge (pictured) (OH-11) are applauding Akron City Council for expressing their support for the Breaking Addiction Act of 2014 (HR 5136), which was introduced by Fudge and co-sponsored by Ryan, Democratic co-chair of the Addiction Treatment and Recovery Caucus.  Both members of Congress represent Akron and others respective areas in Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Akron City Council passed  a resolution earlier this week in support of the Breaking Addition Act of 2014, resolution No. 254 -2014. View the full text of the resolution HERE.

"We appreciate and fully support Akron’s congressional representatives Marcia Fudge and Tim Ryan in their efforts to expand cost-effective, community based treatment options in our efforts to address the heroine/opiate epidemic,” said Akron City Councilman at Large Jeff Fusco.

Akron is a city some 30 miles south of Cleveland and is the native and current home of NBA icon and Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player LeBron James and his family.

Ryan and Fudge are both progressive members of Congress, Fudge a Warrensville Heights Democrat and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus of Blacks in Congress, and Ryan, a Niles, Ohio Democrat.

“We understand the damage substance abuse inflicts upon Akron, the State of Ohio and our nation and Ohio is currently experiencing a heroin epidemic, one since 2007," said Fudge and Ryan in a joint statement to Cleveland Urban News.Com, Ohio's leader in Black digital news.

The federal lawmakers said that fatal drug overdoses have been the leading cause of accidental death in Ohio.

"It is imperative that we begin to stem this tide," said Fudge and Ryan. "We are proud to stand with the City of Akron to do everything in our power to provide the services and assistance that are so vital to our community.”

Fudge said that Akron, and Cleveland, both parts of her predominantly Black 11th congressional district, notwithstanding other municipalities, townships and villages across the country, are a focus relative to the heroin crisis, which she says transcends demographics.

“Here in Akron, we continue to work toward stopping this epidemic," said Fudge

Currently, there is no sign of the heroin crisis slowing down. According to EMS statistics, the use of Narcan has increased from 230 in 2013 to 243 in 2014.