The heroin and opioid epidemic has made its way into the election debate. PolitiFact Wisconsin checks out a claim made in the U.S. Senate Race.
It's been a big story all year especially with the death of Prince -- dying from an overdose of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. In fact, in Wisconsin, more people die of drug overdoses than from car crashes.
Democrat Russ Feingold made this claim in a radio:
"Heroin addiction and opioid abuse are killing Wisconsin, and yet after six years in Washington, Sen. Ron Johnson has essentially done nothing."
"This has come up a number of times during the campaign including the debates," said Tom Kertscher with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Essentially nothing is a pretty broad statement and PolitiFact Wisconsin said the Feingold campaign based that on a couple of no votes by Johnson in the senate.
"The Feingold campaign has pointed to a couple of other bills that Johnson voted against that the Feingold campaign says would have provided money to fight the problem of heroin and opioid use," Kertscher said.
The Johnson campaign pushed back hard calling the ad a "disgusting false attack." PolitiFact Wisconsin looked at Johnson's record and found he has been very active on many fronts, including support for major funding to fight the problem this year.
"Johnson has in fact been involved in supporting legislation - sponsoring legislation and holding hearings in an effort in trying to fight abuse of heroin and opioids," Kertscher said.
PolitiFact rated Feingold's claim False.
