Seeking To Prevent Opioid Overdoses, New Laws Encourage Use Of Naloxone
States across the country are moving toward improving access to the anti-overdose medication. While nationwide efforts to help opioid users are being applauded, little is being done to battle a rising meth epidemic, public health officials say. News also looks at hospitals banding together to sue opioid makers and withdrawal treatment in jail.
Stateline:
New Naloxone Laws Seek To Prevent Opioid Overdoses
It’s increasingly likely that someone you know has the opioid overdose rescue drug naloxone in their pocket or medicine cabinet. In fact, a new mobile app, NaloxoFind, will tell you whether anyone nearby is carrying the lifesaving drug. In the last five years, at least 46 states and the District of Columbia enacted so-called good Samaritan laws, allowing private citizens to administer the overdose-reversal medication without legal liability. And all but four states — Connecticut, Idaho, Nebraska and Oregon — have called on pharmacies to provide the easy-to-administer medication to anyone who wants it without a prescription, according to the Network for Public Health Law. (Vestal, 5/1)
NPR:
Meth Surges Out West, With Fewer Treatment Options Than For Opioids
Amelia and her roommate had been awake for two days straight. They decided to spray-paint the bathroom hot pink. After that, they laid into building and rebuilding the pens for the nine pit bull puppies they were raising in their two-bedroom apartment. Then the itching started. It felt like pin pricks under the skin of her hands. Amelia was convinced she had scabies, skin lice. She spent hours in front of the mirror checking her skin, picking at her face. She even got a health team to come test the apartment. All they found were a few dust mites. (Dembosky, 5/1)
The Associated Press:
West Virginia Hospitals Sue Opioid Companies; Want Damages
Hospitals in West Virginia have banded together to sue some of the country's largest opioid companies, saying they flooded Appalachia with powerful painkillers and forced medical centers to deal with the financial repercussions. Nearly 30 West Virginia hospitals and 10 affiliates in Kentucky have signed on to the suit filed Monday in Marshall County, West Virginia. The hospitals' lawyer said the case is the first time a large group of hospitals in a state has teamed up to take legal action against opioid firms. The hospitals are seeking monetary damages to cover the costs of treating people with opioid addictions. (4/30)
The Associated Press:
Washington State Jail To Give Addiction Meds After Lawsuit
A county in Washington state has agreed to provide opiate-withdrawal medication to prisoners at its jail, following a federal lawsuit. The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union sued Whatcom County Jail last year, saying its practice of requiring most prisoners to go cold turkey violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Opioid addiction qualifies as a disability under the law, and the ACLU said prisoners suffering from it are as entitled to medication as those with any other condition. Nevertheless, advocates say relatively few jails provide such treatment. (4/30)
