CT Legislative Committee Passes Opioid Cap

Far too often, painkillers are the gateway to abuse and addiction. In Connecticut, we are no strangers to the massive heroin problem. Could this legislative action help?

The stories of heroin addiction and overdose deaths run rampant all around the country. I think that, for a period of time, many of us in Connecticut believed "not in my state" to be the truth. Sadly, all you have to do is read any publication over the past few years to know how wrong we were. Many stories of addiction start with pain killers.

All you have to do is read, and listen, to one mothers account in the courant.com to know how wide spread the issue is. Listening to Sue Kruczek talk passionately about her young son Nick's path to heroin addiction should be compelling enough. To know that she is one of way too many is to hope that we can and will do better.

The Connecticut Legislature's Public Health Committee is advancing a bill that caps first-time opioid painkiller prescriptions at seven days.The bill was proposed because of numerous reports that people are getting 30-day first time opioid prescriptions. The overall goal is to stop people from becoming addicted. The bill now moves on to the full Senate.

For anyone who has lost someone to addiction, these measures can feel like too little to late, but we have to be as pro-active as possible. I have to believe any steps we make are positive.