"Timely reminders on the regional opioid crisis"
A new regional study on the heroin and opioid epidemic surfaced recently and reaffirmed the strong link between opioid-based prescription painkillers, and the heroin and opioid epidemic ravaging so many families and communities across the region, state, and nation. The study’s bottom line is that prescription painkillers can be a pervasive "pathway to addiction." The research, conducted by Rochester-based Common Ground Health (formerly known as the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency), showed that "from 2014 to 2016, 54 percent of people who overdosed on opioids (including heroin) in the region had a prescription for opioids within the prior two years. For non-heroin opioid overdoses, the relationship was even stronger; 68 percent of people who overdosed had prior prescriptions for painkillers."The research focused on Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Yates, and five other regional counties. From 2015 to 2016, the study reports more than 600 heroin overdoses occurred across the region. "The epidemic continues to touch residents regardless of geography, age, or racial and ethnic background," the researchers note. Common Ground Health Director of Research Albert Blankley says that understanding how people become opioid-dependent is critical to the overall effort to combat the epidemic. He adds that the findings show that, for many, a prescription medication can "trigger the problem." In my view, the study strongly reaffirms two key points:
The heroin and opioid crisis knows no boundaries – rich or poor, rural or urban, regardless of race or ethnicity, the risk is across the board; and
The link between a prescription for an opioid-based painkiller and at least the possibility of future addiction is undeniable.The full report is available on the Common Ground Health website, https://www.commongroundhealth.org/. This new study is alarming, informative, and incredibly timely. For example, it strengthens the case for a piece of legislation (S7354) I recently introduced, called the "Drug Take Back Act," to further combat the abuse of prescription painkillers and, at the same time, prevent unused drugs from contaminating water supplies. Specifically the Act calls for the establishment of an industry-funded, statewide pharmaceutical drug take back program. The Senate Health Committee has already approved the legislation and it will now go before the full Senate for a vote. We’re acting quickly, and we should.Importantly in my opinion, the Drug Take Back Act advances a "product stewardship" approach to the challenge of disposing of unwanted prescription medications. Product stewardship is driven by the idea that the manufacturers, producers, or sellers of a product should take responsibility for minimizing the product's environment- and health-related impacts throughout all stages of its life cycle, including disposal, recycling, or destruction. I sponsor similar legislation to facilitate the recycling of unused paint. In this instance, pharmaceutical manufacturers would be responsible for all costs including public education and awareness, as well as the collection, transport, and destruction of unwanted or unused prescriptions. The legislation further requires chain and mail-order pharmacies to provide consumers with on-site collection, prepaid mail-back envelopes, or other federally approved methods to encourage safe drug disposal.
Numerous law enforcement and governmental agencies conduct periodic drug take-back days to help facilitate the proper, responsible, and safe disposal of unused prescription medications. There are other ongoing, state-level initiatives to expand the number of permanent collection sites in communities, however many are conducted on a voluntary basis or are limited in scope, and participation remains low. It is important to do anything and everything we can to complement and support the efforts of local law enforcement and other community and government leaders. This action would greatly expand the effort to take back unused medications, and provide a cost-effective strategy to protect our communities and local environments. More must be done.
The 58th Senate District, one of New York State's geographically largest legislative districts, encompasses the following five counties across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions: Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Yates counties, and a portion of Tompkins County (the city and town of Ithaca, and the towns of Enfield, Newfield and Ulysses).
