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Legislative News and Views - Rep. John Persell (DFL)

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Addressing the Opioid Epidemic and Holding Big Pharma Accountable

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

The following column by Representative John Persell was published Wednesday, March 27 in the Cass Lake Times: 

The opioid epidemic has caused tragedies in every corner of the state and across the country. For too long, Minnesota families and communities have paid the price – both in lives lost and in dollars – while the opioid manufacturers and distributors who started the crisis collect record profits. It’s time we take meaningful action to end the opioid epidemic and hold Big Pharma accountable.

Thousands of Minnesotans have lost a loved one to an opioid-related overdose. In 2017, more than 400 Minnesotans died due to an overdose. Overdoses resulted in more than 2,000 visits to emergency rooms that same year. Many folks have told me about family members, friends, and neighbors who lost their battle to addiction. These facts compel me to support those struggling with addiction in an effort to prevent further deaths. 

However, the problem is only getting worse. The number of opioid deaths has increased every year since 2010 and continues to rise. These tragedies occur throughout the entire state, many of them here in northern Minnesota and in our tribal communities.

Efforts to address the opioid epidemic have been largely ineffective. The cost of treatment is high, and families often can’t afford to get their loved ones the help they need. Only 10 percent of Minnesotans with a substance use disorder receive treatment.

These substance abuse costs strain our local government budgets. Local and state officials step in to protect children when parents with an opioid use disorder are unable to take care of their kids. They also provide additional care when infants are born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, a disorder caused by exposure to opioids while in the womb. Separating families is difficult for young people and can lead to problems in later life. There have also been increased demands on law enforcement. All of these things result in significant costs for taxpayers, particularly in the communities most impacted by the crisis.

Pharmaceutical companies assured health care providers that extended-released opioids weren’t addictive when they were first introduced in the 1990s. Based on that assurance, doctors and dentists began prescribing more opioids. They increasingly provided the drugs after less-serious procedures than they had before.

Big Pharma lied, just like the tobacco companies did. Opioids are extremely addictive. Opioid manufacturers and distributors have made billions of dollars in profits over the years, but haven’t had to pay a dime to help folks get treatment or help our local governments keep our communities safe and healthy. Minnesotans are the ones dying in the opioid epidemic, and Minnesota taxpayers are footing the bill.

The House recently passed legislation that will help end the opioid crisis and hold pharmaceutical companies accountable. This comprehensive plan would invest in prevention, education, intervention, treatment, and recovery resources. The funding for these services would come from fees paid by Big Pharma.

The bill would generate $20 million in new revenue each year. An Opioid Stewardship Advisory Council, made up of medical professionals, law enforcement, state officials, and members of American Indian Tribes, would make recommendations to the legislature on how this money should best be spent.

Minnesotans deserve to receive the care they need to save their own lives or the lives of others. Our communities need these resources, but the financial burden of providing them shouldn’t fall on our families or our local governments. It should be the responsibility of the companies that make, market, and sell opioids to be part of the solution. I was proud to cast my vote for legislation to help solve the opioid epidemic, and I will continue to advocate for the help and support our communities need.

Representative John Persell represents District 05A in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He can be reached at rep.john.persell@house.mn or 651-296-9467.