Maryland Opioid Epidemic: New Laws Tackle Addiction
http://patch.com/maryland/annapolis/maryland-opioid-epidemic-new-laws-tackle-addiction
Last year for the first time deaths from the use/abuse of Alcohol exceeded 100,000 a 20% increase over 2015 and abt 450,000 from the use/abuse of the drug Nicotine… those two drugs killed more people in a SINGLE YEAR that all the USA soldiers killed in the 12-14 yr Vietnam War and the four year World War II.. IN 2016, we had between 40,000 – 50,000 suicides and abt ONE MILLION ATTEMPTS. As a society… no mourning those deaths… no front page headlines… no part of the judicial system focusing on those deaths. It is claimed that prescription opiates are the gateway drug to Heroin use/abuse.. what is the gateway drug that leads to an addiction to the two drugs Alcohol and Nicotine ?
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland’s governor on Tuesday proposed new legislation aimed at fighting the state’s opioid addiction crisis. But the personal story of Anne Arundel County’s top prosecutor illustrates two of the issues that contribute to the problem: physicians who prescribe heavy-duty painkillers when they may not be needed, and red tape that complicates efforts by families to get someone into a treatment program, and then keep them there.
The press conference led by Gov. Larry Hogan Hogan was held at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis. Hogan said that he did not fully appreciate the scope of the opioid epidemic until he began traveling around Maryland during his gubernatorial campaign three years ago. He said when he asked people across the state what their community’s biggest problem was, regardless of whether they were from a rural, urban, wealthy, or poor community, “the answer was always the same: heroin.”
State’s Attorney Wes Adams, R-Anne Arundel, spoke about the recent death of his brother-in-law, who he said died of an opioid overdose. Adams said his brother-in-law became addicted to opioids after being prescribed painkillers following a surgery about eight years ago. He said he moved in and out of rehab centers and periodically became clean, only to relapse later.
Adams noted the obstacles from the medical and insurance industries that he and his family faced as they tried to keep his brother-in-law in treatment. He also expressed consternation over recently being prescribed a substantial supply of Oxycontin, an opioid pain-killer, following a medical procedure, despite telling his doctor that he was only experiencing moderate pain.
He said that the only major side-effect his pharmacist warned him of was constipation, despite the well-documented risk of addiction that use of the drug carries.
Experts say that many heroin users in the state are people who became addicted to prescription narcotics following an injury or surgery, then begin to use cheaper illicit heroin when they can no longer obtain prescriptions for legal opioids.New Legislation Targets Addiction Crisis
Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford — whom the governor has directed to focus on opioid addiction — said the governor would sign an executive order that will create an Opioid Operations Command Center, a “virtual” task force charged with organizing training and funding for local anti-addiction teams, as well as collecting data on opioid use and abuse.
Both Hogan and Rutherford appeared optimistic but acknowledged that the problem of opioid addiction is worsening in Maryland. Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh said that, at the start of his tenure a couple years ago, there was one overdose per day and one death per week from opioid abuse in his county. He said those figures have risen to two overdoses per day and two and a half deaths per week.
Proposed legislation includes:
The Prescriber Limits Act would prevent doctors from prescribing more than seven days worth of opioid painkillers during a patient’s first visit or consultation. The law exempts patients going through cancer treatment and those diagnosed with a terminal illness.
The Distribution of Opioids Resulting in Death Act would introduce a new felony charge carrying up to 30 years in prison for people convicted of illegally selling opioids or opioid analogues that result in the death of a user. Rutherford said the law would carry protections for people who were selling to support their addiction.
And the Overdose Prevention Act authorizes the collection of and review of non-fatal overdose data and would make it easier for people to fill prescriptions for naloxone, a drug that can counteract the effects of an opioid overdose.
Drug Treatment Plan
Hogan’s proposed fiscal year 2018 budget includes $4 million in new spending to increase support for those struggling with heroin and opioid addiction. In addition, the budget contains $1.3 billion for mental health and substance use disorders, including $159 million dedicated to existing non-Medicaid substance use disorder treatment programs.
In addition, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recently received a Medicaid waiver renewal for its HealthChoice Program. This will allow Maryland Medicaid to reimburse for residential substance use treatment services delivered in large facilities, known as Institutes for Mental Diseases, greatly expanding the number of facilities in Maryland that can offer treatment services.
This waiver will also authorize the state to pursue presumptive eligibility for people leaving jail or prison through its Medicaid State Plan. In the coming weeks the state will amend its Medicaid State Plan to create this eligibility option, which will supplement Maryland Medicaid’s current jail enrollment and care coordination strategy.
— Story By JACOB TAYLOR, Capital News Service, with additional reporting by Patch Editor Deb Belt; file photos of Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Wes Adams and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan
Filed under: General Problems
Why not also introduce a new felony charge with a 30 mandatory minimum for anyone who sells ethanol that results in death of the user? Think that would cut down on fraternity hazing deaths?
There should also be a felony charge for any auto dealer who sells a car with too much horsepower that then results in trauma death. After all, why is the 4 cylinder not enough? Are they planning to abuse the horsepower? Are they planning to speed?
Well put Robert.
Sandrag
Done,,maybe i should put out the ,”private email,” i was given to send my stuff sooo everyone can send them evidence of this torture??maryw
pss,,may I use your add on,,and send to my ACLU as more propaganda used by my governor,,notice not 1 medical doctor in that document involved in actual pain management,,,Hell,,there is literal 1 doctor,,1,,,,mentioned in that hole thing,,,,the rest our laymen!!!!wow,,what a corrupt mess,,,mary
You sure you can use it!
To Melody,,,I’m glad it worked for u,,,but it does NOT work for everyone,,jmo,,u thinking u have the rite to decide who kratom should work for is thee exact same thing the government is doing to all chronic pain humanbeings,,which is,,deciding who is to suffer in physical pain and who is not,thus forcing physical pain onto another humanbeing when your idealogy it works for 80 % is factually impossible to determine,,since it is factually truthfully IMPOSSIBLE FOR anyone to physically feel the physical pain of another,,Why,,??why do u think u have that rite to decide who suffers in physical pain and who doesn’t?
Read those ,”new” restriction people READ THEM!!!! it is literall;y taking any opiate medicine away from ALLL CHRONIC PHYSICAL PAIN HUMANBEING DUE TO A MEDICAL CONDITION,,,
Dr.Ibsen was rite allllll along,,,,they want opiate MEDICINE, gone.
One final thought for Melody,,,how would u feel it they took your kratom away???when it works for u??!!!thats my point,,,since it is factually impossible for u to physically feel the physical pain of another,,or even know the medical histories of your 80% u claim,,,,,the flip side of your claim,,means if it doesn’t work for your 80%,,,,like u claim,,,their left to suffer,,in physical pain,,,thus your theory has just force physical pain onto another humanbeing,,,,jmo,,,I believe as adults in a once free country,,,we have thee human rite to decide and have access to,what-ever MEDICINE works for u,,be it a opiate or one of natures plant,,Since it is factually IMPOSSIBLE for anyone to feel the physical pain of another,,,no-one has the rite to force u to suffer in physical pain,,That is the legal definition of torture,and no-one is immune to formal charges of torture,,,that carries a life sentence,,appropriately
This is where its heading folks,,and all of u still lucky enough to have your meds,,,its no longer ,”if” they take your medicine,,,it is ,”when” they take your meds away,,,,maryw
Great comment Mary,
Coming to a state near you …brought to you by the governors who are practicing medicine without a license, a duke-out between the states-Prize goes to who can come up with the most draconian laws to make decent, legitimate, medically complex patients suffer? We thought Maine, but no,
Maryland! Who’s next….????
https://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/2016/1607NGAOpioidRoadMap.pdf
Thank u,,I wish i could comment on that stinken maryland site,,but it won’t post my comment,,ie,,censored,,,I guess I have been label by the nsa as a verbal criminal for telling the truth,,,That governor should be brought up on federal charges of torture,,,which i have mentioned carries a life sentence,,,which is exactly what that governess’s abuse of power will do to chronically ill physical pain humanbeings in maryland,,,,,I agree,,,wisconsin next,,,then maine ,,it is all over the place,,,but like it or not,,this government is breaking the federal law of torture and should be brought up on those charges,,,,for this law will sentence all chronic physical-pain humanbeings due to medical illness,,,it will sentence them to a life in prison also,,,the own bodies,,forced to now endure physical pain due to medical illness’smedical error,surgeoun error,or limitation in medical testing,,,that WAS the gap painmanagemnt once filled,,,,,,,,,,,maryw
People do not have a idea of how to sort out the people who are truly addicted. They are afraid because they are only guessing on people who may be addicted. They can’t honestly tell who is a addict an who is not. So they label everyone as a addict. They report that everyone seeking drugs. Then they tell the public we are going to take their pain meds away from them. We will fix this problem. You have people testing those you think are drug addicts. The ones running the tests stand to profit on making people addicts. The best you can do is keep your damn nose out of it…CDC , DEA and let the doctors take care of patients. You are telling the public how the doctors caused all these drug addicts in the country. GO BACK Y your boarders and do your job. Stop the truck loads of pain pills and other drugs coming into this country do your job and do it right. Dont make things complicated why are you doing this. Because you don’t know what to do………….
I didn’t see any mention of Kratom. Kratom can take away of up to 85 percent of withdrawal symptoms. And Kratom can be used as pain reliever as well. Many people have taken Kratom for the sole purpose of getting off heroin. I myself take it because for me it works better than fentanyl and dilauded and morphine. I was legally prescribed of up to 11 prescriptions at one time and from one doctor. I no longer take any narcotics and am on only one prescription. I used to be bedridden but because of Kratom I bike several miles or walk a couple miles everyday. Kratom has given me back to my family.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/kratom-help-treat-opioid-addiction/
Melody,,,i got a serious question for u,,,u say 11 types of meds,,,why,,and i seriously don’t understand,thus would;d like to be given the knowledge via your answer as to why,,,,I assume u r a adult women,,soo why,,,if any of your meds did not work,,,or u felt it was too many,,why being that u are a intelligent adult women,, why did u not tell u doc,,NOO,,, i don’t wish to take that medicine any longer or,,No,,i do not want that medicine,,i mean it is your body,,u have free will,,soo i am having a hard time understanding as a adult with free will u never simply said NO DOC,, do not want that meds,or their NOT worken for me???Thank u for your time in responding,,,m