Kentucky Justice Secretary John Tilley Raising Alarms to Federal Lawmakers About Opioids
Secretary Tilley will speak with Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Thursday
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 29, 2016) - Kentucky Justice Secretary John Tilley is returning to Washington D.C. this week to testify about the nation’s deadly opioid epidemic and Kentucky’s efforts to save lives with stronger treatment, community interventions and public outreach.
Secretary Tilley is scheduled to appear before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions at 10 a.m. on Thursday. The hearing is titled “The Front Lines of the Opioid Crisis: Perspectives from States, Communities, and Providers” and can be viewed live on the committee’s website.
“The opioid crisis has reached pandemic levels and the suffering is unprecedented, affecting nearly every family in Kentucky and across the nation,” Secretary Tilley said. “We are eager to work with our federal partners in any way to stem this tide.”
Secretary Tilley last testified to a congressional committee on opioids in July, when he spoke to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations for the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Opioid overdoses claimed more than 1,400 lives in Kentucky last year, a 7.4 percent increase from 2015. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times more potent than heroin, was a factor in 623 deaths, while heroin contributed to 456 deaths.
In response, Gov. Matt Bevin is spearheading the “Don’t Let Them Die” campaign to raise awareness and provide better access to resources and treatment. Earlier this month, the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet and Operation UNITE launched a new substance abuse call center that will connect people across the state with drug treatment.
The Bevin administration has also worked with the Kentucky legislature to increase funding for anti-drug efforts and limit opioid prescriptions for acute pain to a three-day supply unless a doctor provides written justification in medical records for a larger amount.
###
|
