The Slide From Opioid Prescriptions To Heroin At Root Of Epidemic
Some turn to heroin after becoming addicted to prescription painkillers because it's cheaper, in great supply and doesn't require going to a doctor. Meanwhile, Illinois' bill tackling the epidemic has been called "groundbreaking legislation" that can provide a blueprint to other states. And police in Columbus, Ohio, are now carrying naloxone.
Chicago Tribune:
Heroin's One-Two Punch
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) figures that 78 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose, largely due to the prevalence of opioid prescriptions for drugs such as Vicodin, Oxycontin and Hydrocodone; as well as the easy access there is to heroin. That deadly combination has produced staggering numbers of fatalities across the country, and the south suburbs of Chicago are no exception. (Lafferty, 6/29)
Chicago Tribune:
Illinois' Heroin Crisis Act A Model For Other States
To address the state's heroin epidemic, Illinois adopted the Heroin Crisis Act in September 2015 which has been heralded as "groundbreaking legislation" and is now being modeled in other states across the country, according to the bill's sponsor, Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie. (Lafferty, 6/29)
The Columbus Dispatch:
Columbus Police Begin Carrying Overdose Drug Naloxone
Because seconds save lives, 115 Columbus police officers now have in their cruisers a drug that can prevent overdose deaths as they battle the heroin epidemic. Officers are using the nonaddictive drug naloxone — its brand name is Narcan — to quickly help an overdose victim to breathe again. ... So far, in the four weeks patrol officers have used naloxone, seven overdose victims have been resuscitated by spraying the drug into victims' nostrils. (Perry, 6/29)
