By sharing painkillers, friends and family can fuel opioid epidemic

 

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi says the county should pursue legal action against pharmaceutical companies for their responsibility in triggering the nation’s opioid epidemic.

A resolution directing Dane County’s Corporation Counsel to pursue whatever legal means necessary to most effectively hold accountable the pharmaceutical companies for the opioid epidemic will go before the county board this week.

“The opioid epidemic has hit local communities hard across the United States and Dane County is no exception,” said Parisi. “It’s time to tell pharmaceutical companies that enough is enough. This epidemic has strained our resources and has cost local communities across Wisconsin millions of dollars as we try to get people the treatment and recovery they so desperately need.”

According to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, more than 500,000 prescriptions for opioids have been dispensed to Dane County residents annually since 2013.

On average, 21 million opioid pills are dispensed to Dane County residents per year.

That equates to over 39 opioid pills being prescribed to each of Dane County’s approximately 531,000 residents every 12 months.

In just one year, Dane County Emergency Medical Services has seen an over 30 percent spike in suspected overdose incidents. In 2016, there were 486 suspected overdose incidents that took place.

That number has jumped to 643 suspected overdose incidents so far in 2017, putting added pressure on Emergency Medical Services units.

A total of 13 opioid involved deaths occurred in 2000, but that number skyrocketed to 85 in 2016.

According to Public Health of Madison and Dane County, the rate of prescription opioid involved deaths in Dane County has doubled since 2000, from 6.3 per 100,000 people in 2000 to 12.4 per 100,000 people in 2016.

The rate of heroin involved deaths has more than tripled since 2000, from 3.0 per 100,000 people in 2000 to 10.1 per 100,000 people in 2016.

 
 
 

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