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Protecting Our Communities: H.O.P.E. Tour Highlights Legislation to Combat Opioid Abuse and Addiction
Hi Everyone,
On Thursday, we were joined by Representative John Nygren and
Department of Safety and Professional Services Secretary Dave Ross as we toured
the state to raise awareness of opioid abuse during our Heroin Opioid
Prevention and Education (H.O.P.E.) tour.
Opioid addiction and abuse has become a health care crisis, not just in
Wisconsin, but across the nation as well.
Many of our young people who face heroin addiction today first became
addicted to legal prescription drugs they were prescribed following a procedure
or that they found in someone else’s medicine cabinet. Highly addictive prescriptions like pain
killers are just as dangerous as drugs like heroin, and the legislation we
signed into law on Thursday provides us with more tools to closely monitor
these prescriptions.
The well-being and health of our communities and citizens is crucial
as we continue to look for new ways to improve the quality of life for
Wisconsinites. Looking forward, we will
continue to work with the legislature, law enforcement, healthcare,
non-profits, and the faith-based community to put in place tools to prevent
addiction, as well as provide those who face addiction and abuse with the
support and help they need.
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Prevea Marinette Health Center: Assembly Bills 659 and 367
 Our first stop was at Prevea Marinette Health Center in
Marinette, where we signed Assembly Bill
659 into law, which brings our administrative code into alignment with
federal guidelines and provides us with more tools to ensure our treatment
processes are effective. We also signed Assembly Bill 367, which allows the
Department of Health Services to collect more information about methadone
treatment programs to help ensure they are operating as efficiently and safely
as possible. Both bills are crucial in
helping us provide better care and support for those who face opioid abuse and
addiction.
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Aspirus Wausau Hospital: Assembly Bill 366 and 658
 We also visited the Aspirus Wausau Hospital in Wausau, where
we signed Assembly Bills 366 and 658 into law.
Assembly Bill 366 helps us to
monitor clinics that prescribe highly addictive pain killers, so we can keep
track of who they are, and we can guarantee they are prescribing these drugs in
a responsible way. Assembly Bill 658 makes it illegal to possess, manufacture,
distribute, or advertise any substance intended to manipulate the results of a
drug test.
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Mayo Clinic Health System: Assembly Bill 364 and 766
 The third stop on our H.O.P.E. tour was in Eau Claire at Mayo
Clinic Health System. There, we signed Assembly Bill 364, which accelerates
reporting to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program from seven days to 24
hours to allow greater collaboration, as well as Assembly Bill 766, which requires
us to consistently assess the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to ensure
its continued effectiveness.
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ProHealth Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital: Assembly Bill: 365 and 660
 We wrapped up our H.O.P.E. tour by stopping in Oconomowoc at
ProHealth Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital, where Attorney General Brad Schimel
joined us as we signed Assembly Bills 365 and 660. Assembly
Bill 365 requires members of Wisconsin law enforcement to report the name
and birth date of individuals suspected of prescription drug violation, theft,
overdose, or death, as well as the name of the person the prescription was
stolen from, the person who prescribed it, the prescription number, and the
name of the prescription drug. Assembly bill 660 provides guidelines
for best practices to our health care professionals prescribing controlled
substances, which guarantees everyone is on the same page.
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The legislation we signed into law as a part of our H.O.P.E.
tour not only focuses on providing more tools to provide support and treatment
for those who face opioid addiction and abuse, but also works to get the
message out about the seriousness of this issue. We would like to thank Representative John
Nygren for his leadership, as well as the legislature for their collaborative
effort to pass these important bills.
Our combined efforts will help to protect Wisconsinites and
their loved ones from the tragedy of drug abuse and misuse. Together, we will build a stronger, safer
Wisconsin.
It has been a pleasure communicating with you. It is an honor to serve as your Governor and represent the residents of Wisconsin.
Sincerely,
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