Massachusetts Governor Declares War on Heroin

Massachusetts Governor Declares War on Heroin

by Vince Breuning on April 4, 2014

Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts, has officially declared a state of public emergency regarding the heroin epidemic that is spreading across the New England state. Patrick has highlighted three major bullet points to his plan:

The allocation of $20 million towards drug abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery programs

Banning the controversial painkiller Zohydro

Allowing police officers to carry and administer Narcan, an overdose reversal drug

Massachusetts Treatment Programs

Drug treatment programs in Massachusetts are scarce, and Patrick believes that funding these types of programs will have a higher success rate in battling the problem than the courts and judicial system can provide. As part of the $20 million dedicated to improving drug treatment, Patrick has appointed new members to the state’s Interagency Council on Substance Abuse and Prevention to make recommendations on further actions. Ideas that are being entertained include better coordination of services, aligning private insurance with public insurance for treatment, and the diversion of non-violent criminal offenders from the justice system into treatment programs.

What came through to me so clearly yesterday was the kind of hit-or-miss nature of the way people find the recovery services that are right for them.

Zohydro Ban

Governor Patrick announced that Massachusetts is the first state in the country to ban the newest FDA-approved painkiller Zohydro. This drug has been raising major concerns as its primary ingredient is the opiate hydrocodone (found in Vicodin and Lortab) in its purest form. Most other prescription medications containing hydrocodone are mixed with acetaminophen or ibuprofen, making them harder to abuse than a version composed of strictly the active ingredient. Zohydro also contains no anti-abuse protection, although the drug’s manufacturer Zogenix has stated it plans on implementing this practice sooner than later. The FDA responded to Patrick’s move by telling the media that the ban is “extremely troubling.”

Narcan Approved to be Administered by Police Officers

Narcan is the brand name for the life-saving drug naloxone administered to individuals who are overdosing on heroin, prescription painkillers like OxyContin, and other opiates. In the past, police officers in Massachusetts have been prohibited from carrying and administering this drug by state health regulations. These regulations will soon be overturned according to Patrick. Due to the incredibly high numbers of heroin overdoses in Massachusetts, police will not only be allowed and encouraged to carry the drug, they will also be trained on its proper administration.

We have right now an opiate epidemic, so I will treat this like the public health crisis it is.

Original Source: Cape Cod Times

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