WATCH THE HEARING:
Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg is testifying Tuesday on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., regarding the opioid crisis.
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Aronberg told NewsChannel 5 the federal government needs to do its fair share, noting that corrupt individuals continue to exploit well-intended federal laws to prey upon opioid addicts.
"The problem is that the laws are making the fraud and abuse worst unintentionally. Federal law is creating an environment that incentivizes elapse instead of recovery. Federal law is putting more of the money in failure rather than success. We want to incentivize sobriety," he said.
Aronberg's sober home task force has made 41 arrests in the past year for patient brokering and other criminal activity within the drug treatment and sober home industries.
The state attorney began testifying after 10 a.m. along with Asst. State Attorney Alan Johnson, who leads the sober home task force in Palm Beach County.