Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

State Drug Czar Will Resign

Josh Rogers/NHPR

Jack Wozmak says with the legislature presently focused on the opioid crisis, now is a good time for him to step down as the state's so-called "drug czar." (Click here to read his resignation letter.) 

A year ago, Governor Hassan appointed Wozmak to serve as the state's Senior Director for Substance Misuse and Behavioral Health.  In that time he became something of a flash point as Republicans and some law enforcement agencies complained he wasn't communicative enough.  

During the past year Wozmak says he focused on expanding the use of the overdose reversal drug Narcan, recruiting more companies to open treatment facilities, and encouraging the state to examine whether insurers are covering addiction services. 

"Before this we were in the middle of nowhere. We were in the middle of a crisis. There was no direction. There was no goals. There was no plan. So we've come an awful long way in a year. And it's been wonderful. This is a year I wouldn't trade for anything," said Wozmak.

No word as of late Friday what the governor's plans are to find a replacement.

Before joining NHPR in August 2014, Jack was a freelance writer and radio reporter. His work aired on NPR, BBC, Marketplace and 99% Invisible, and he wrote for the Christian Science Monitor and Northern Woodlands.
Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.