Trump Heads To Ohio To Tout Tax Plan, But It’s The Opioid Epidemic That’s Front Of Mind For Residents
Those on the front line of the war against opioids in a state that's been hard hit by the crisis say President Donald Trump and the government need to provide funding and not just lip-service over the epidemic. In other news: lawmakers ask OMB to block changes to the anti-drug office, colleges are stocking anti-overdose medication, Pfizer encounters manufacturing issues with its opioid product, and more.
The Associated Press:
In Drug Crisis Hotbed, Hoping For Action On Trump's Words
President Donald Trump heads to Ohio on Monday to make Cincinnati-area stops focusing on the new tax overhaul — though some in a state with one of the nation's highest overdose rates would rather hear more about his plans for the drug crisis. In Newtown, outside Cincinnati, Police Chief Tom Synan said he found Trump's comments on opioids in his State of the Union address to be "much of the same. There are very convincing words and there's yet to be very convincing actions." (Sewell, 2/4)
The Hill:
Heroin Task Force Presses Congress For More Funding To Fight Opioid Epidemic
The Bipartisan Heroin Task Force is calling on congressional leaders to funnel more federal dollars into combating the opioid epidemic, which now causes more deaths per year than car accidents. In October, President Trump declared the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency — a move the administration recently extended for another 90 days. Advocates have expressed concern the declaration hasn’t had much of an impact, adding that more funding is needed for it to be effective. (Roubein, 2/2)
The Hill:
Bipartisan Senate Group Opposes Cuts To Anti-Drug Office
Senators are urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and appropriators in the upper chamber to block major changes to an anti-drug office the Trump administration is reportedly weighing. Last month, Politico reported that OMB was planning to propose moving two major grants at the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Under the plan, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and Drug-Free Communities programs would be moved to the Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services, respectively. (Roubein, 2/2)
Politico:
As Opioid Overdoses Rise, Colleges Supply Reversal Drug
Colleges are increasingly stocking up on an easy-to-use opioid overdose antidote as the number of incidents keeps rising with young adults among those most at risk. Opioids killed nearly 4,000 Americans ages 15 to 24 in 2016, nearly a third more than the year before. And while over 30 percent of college students said they knew someone who had overdosed on pain pills or heroin, even more — over 37 percent — reported not knowing what to do if they were present, a survey by the Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Advocacy and The Christie Foundation found. (Sanchez, 2/2)
Stat:
Pfizer Hits Another Problem Trying To Ship Opioid-Filled Syringes To Hospitals
For the third time in six months, Pfizer (PFE) is having difficulty manufacturing certain prefilled syringes of opioid painkillers — and the ongoing supply problems are upsetting hospitals around the country. The string of difficulties are all occurring at a specific plant that has recently encountered manufacturing issues, although the latest snag with the Carpuject and iSecure syringes is being traced to a component made by a supplier, according to a Jan. 31 letter that Pfizer sent to its customers. (Silverman, 2/2)
Denver Post:
Methadone Clinics In Colorado Have Doubled In Three Years, But The State Is Still Short On Treatment Options
Denver Health’s narcotic treatment program now has 550 patients, double what it had three years ago. But the medical center estimates it could serve four times as many people, more than 3,000, if it had the staff and other resources to take everyone addicted to opioids who walked in from the streets, visited the main hospital or was booked in the Denver jail. It’s a similar story across Colorado, where access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction has expanded rapidly in the past few years but isn’t yet close to getting a grip on the need. Throughout the country, the epidemic has overwhelmed resources. (Brown, 2/4)
Columbus Dispatch:
Central Ohio Companies Look For Roles In Response To Opioid Crisis
Representatives of about 60 local businesses met last week to discuss the role of private business in confronting the lethal opioid epidemic. Drug-overdose deaths in Ohio rose 24 percent in 2016, when 4,329 Ohioans died. The state’s death rate was the second-highest in the country. (Perry, 2/4)