The rise in opioid abuse that has afflicted everyone from pop stars to truck drivers drew heightened attention Friday from state and federal lawmakers in Minnesota.
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and a White House drug policy expert held a discussion with Minnesota medical and law enforcement officials at Hazelden's Plymouth campus, while state legislators advanced two measures to reduce misuse of addictive prescription opioids and increase access to emergency overdose treatment.
"This is one of the biggest public health crises we have faced in a very long time," said Michael Botticelli, White House director of national drug control policy, following Klobuchar's discussion.
Underscoring the concerns was a Minnesota Department of Health report, also released Friday, that showed startling increases in drug overdose deaths in the state.
The department said 572 Minnesotans died of drug overdoses last year, including 216 related to prescription opioid medications and 114 related to heroin. Drug overdose deaths in Minnesota have more than quadrupled in the past 15 years, the report showed, but those involving prescription or illicit opioids increased tenfold.
"With all the attention on this issue over the past several years, it's disappointing that we have not been more effective in slowing down this epidemic," said Dr. Edward Ehlinger, state health commissioner.
The state House on Friday unanimously passed a bill with two tactics to confront opioid misuse — one expanding the ability of pharmacists to prescribe and dispense Narcan, an antidote for opioid overdoses, and the other permitting Minnesota pharmacies to serve as volunteer collection sites for unwanted opioid medications.
"Through their voluntary actions, we will get a lot more opioids out of medicine cabinets" and away from people who might abuse them, said Rep. Bob Barrett, R-Taylors Falls, at a news conference in St. Paul.
