Arizona congressional candidate suspends campaign after drug overdose
An Army veteran who was running for Congress in Arizona suspended his campaign on Monday after he suffered a drug overdose.
"Today, I have suspended my campaign for the US House of Representatives and am seeking treatment for substance abuse disorder," Chris Taylor, who is also a city councilman in Safford, Arizona, told NBC News in a statement. "I will fully cooperate with local authorities on any matters arising from my recent relapse and overdose."
Taylor's decision to drop out of the Republican primary in Arizona's 1st Congressional District was first reported by the Arizona Republic. Taylor, a married father of two who served two combat tours in Afghanistan, had struggled with opioid addiction in the past.
His campaign website says he founded a non-profit called Desert Eagle Addiction Recovery "dedicated to helping individuals, especially fellow combat veterans, suffering from drug addiction" in 2014.
A report by the National Bureau of Economic Research last year found that exposure to combat puts troops at substantial risk for abusing opioids and heroin.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/elections-2020/arizona-congressional-candidate-suspends-campaign-after-drug-overdose/ar-BB10lc7F?ocid=mailsignout
