Idaho Lawmakers trying to curb opioid addiction

Idaho lawmakers hope to curb opioid addiction. Lawmakers along with members of the governor’s office of drug policy will attend a two – day retreat later this month to talk about this issue.

In 2015, 234 Idahoans died from drug-induced deaths. Bonneville county ranks among the worst in the state with a rate of between 23.9 percent and 30.7 percent of deaths per 100,000 people. The state average is 14 deaths per 100,000 thousand people.

Idaho representative Matt Erpelding attended a leadership conference where this topic was discussed. He says it is time to talk about the issue – especially if we want to come up with a problem.

“So what we’ve learned is that the first thing we have to do is figure out a way to end the stigma of addiction, because many of these folks are doing it behind closed doors. nobody knows about it, they’re afraid to come out and admit openly that they have a disease. An addiction is a disease. So we need to do that, the second thing that we really need to do is figure out ways for people to get access to state treatment without being charged with drug crime,” Erpelding said.

New research finds having a surgery can play a role into opioid addiction. Researchers at the university of Michigan found six percent of patients who had surgery, both major and minor, continue to use these potentially dangerous pain meds three to six months later. The risk factors seem to be having a history of substance abuse, psychiatric disorders, back pain and arthritis.