U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-NH, held her 10th telephone town hall last night and according to her office, more than 8,000 people called in to hear her speak about the Granite State’s heroin epidemic.

During the call, according to Kuster, she heard a number of personal stories of constituents who have been affected by the heroin crisis.

“Far too many New Hampshire families are struggling with the heroin crisis, and Congressional leaders must hear their voices and join together to meet this challenge head on,” she said in a statement. “I’ve been holding regional briefings in towns across the district to hear directly from community members about how Congress can assist their on-the-ground efforts to curb the crisis, and our latest telephone town hall gave me another important opportunity to speak with constituents about how the crisis is affecting them.”

Kuster said she and her Congressional colleagues on the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic were working to support both national and local efforts to combat the epidemic and end it as soon as possible.

Kuster has also held regional briefings to hear directly from local community members and highlighted the issue at the federal level through her work in Congress, according to a statement. She has also attended ride-alongs with law enforcement officials in Nashua, Keene, and Franklin, providing her with a direct look at the challenges facing law enforcement and local communities. These experiences, she noted, have helped her continue to lead efforts in Congress to bring an end to opioid abuse in New Hampshire.