As a combat veteran who has spent more than a decade working with severely injured veterans, both while in uniform and with numerous nonprofits, I can attest to the devastating effect that the over-prescription of opiate-based medications have had on our veteran population.

Data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the nation’s largest dispenser of opioids, show that 20 veterans commit suicide each day. No doubt, the VA’s over-reliance on opioids has played a heavy hand in generating that unfortunate statistic as well.