Lawmakers seeking change to help stop pain killer abuse in Iowa
DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG TV-9) — A group of Iowa lawmakers say something needs to change to stop the heroin epidemic in Iowa. They say change might need to start with better regulation of prescription pain killers.
On Wednesday, Senator Rob Hogg from Cedar Rapids and Representative Chuck Isenhart from Dubuque hosted a pain killer abuse forum.
2016 has been a deadly year for heroin overdoses in Dubuque. So far this year, rescue crews have saved 26 people who were over-dosing on heroin. Another 9 people died after they overdosed on the drug.
Law-makers say heroin addiction often starts when people abuse prescription pain killers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say people who get addicted to prescription pain killers are 40 times more likely to become addicted to heroin.
The law-makers organized Wednesday’s forum to gather input from doctors, law-enforcement and substance abuse counselors. They say they want to evaluate the amount of pain medication that doctors prescribe in Iowa.
While overall heroin use has increased, experts at Wednesday’s meeting say the number of heroin overdose deaths has dropped slightly this year. They say that could be a result of recent change in Iowa law.
Now law-makers say they’re working to gather information on what law could change to better regulate prescription pain killers.
“We’ve become dependent really on using strong pain killers for treatment of regular aliments, such as cancer and inadvertently many people have become addicted to those pain killers,” said Isenhart.
Experts say one thing that does seem to be working well are the state’s prescription drug take back events. Those events allow people to drop off old prescription medicine to law enforcement officers.
In the past 6 years, the state has collected 39 tons of left over prescription drugs through those events.
In Dubuque, people can drop off those medications any time at Hartig Drug on University Avenue and at the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office.
UPDATE 11/19/2016 from bureaucrat
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Filed under: General Problems
ok,,I clicked on ,”chucky’s,” responds and get transferred to facebook and some licitlady acct,,,,,anyone know this person password to log in??i would love to respond to this arrogant man whom actually thinks he has the right to decide who suffers in physical pain and who doesn’t,,when it is literally impossible for anyone to physically feel the physical pain of another,,,Isn’t that a little psychotic??to think u can feel the physical pain of another when it is literally impossible??maryw
Mary , Licitlady is me ….SandraG. Or Sandra.. I found him on Facebook you type in on leave reply or say something at the top. What you typed will not show that it posted but they see it.
Sandra
He is not saying the truth !
You can contact old Chuck on Facebook. It looks like it didn’t post but it does. I wrote him do it to please
Sandra
hmmm,,,,maybe I need to open a facebook acct.????r all these politicians on facebook???my politician in wisco have government acct..,,mary
Maybe he needs to visit some Cancer patients or a hospice and tell them in there face they need no pain control. Of course there was not one person to represent Chronic pain patient in this little group. You had 9 people die of overdoses . I wonder how maNY have died from drinking or smoking. I bet it was more then 9 but here is this witch-hunt for pain medication. Well I quess instead of use just complaining we should be writing and calling abut what we think about his lack of concern. The problem is most will not do that not realizing that we have a large group of chronic pain sufferers who just are doing nothing but hide under the covers and hope it gets better. With Trump choice for Attorney General medical marjianuna is even at risk.
This is what we are dealing with.
Chuck Isenhart has a serious problem if he considers cancer a regular ailment. He is not from my state, but he damned well is f=going to hear from me about his ignorant statement.
Maybe the DEA better do its real job stop the Herion from coming across boarder. They spend to much time hunting down people’s doctors and searching for chronic pain patients. Really …..they don’t know what their job is.
I wish they did know what they were talking about. They need to get out of the house more. They sit behind desks waiting for people to come tell them what’s going on. They don’t have a clue. We are going to have problems lots of deaths because of them.
The statement by an elected official that claims cancer is a regular ailment and leads to addiction – is an elected official that is clearly that NEEDS to VOTED OUT of his position!
I can only hope that the unfeeling bastard gets SEVERE pain and gets it SOON! I don’t wish harm to his loved ones (if he is even capable of loving anyone other than himself). Sadly because of the position of power he is in he doesn’t have to survive under the same level of care as us peons so would most likely have treatment available so the never ending pain he needs to suffer besides being severe needs to be something that is totally and completely resistant to ANY form of pain control! Yes I am feeling very mean after reading his statement. I would do a happy dance (if I were able) were I to hear that he would suffer excruciating pain for many years before he could even commit suicide in order to escape the pain!
I do not think I’ve ever heard such heartless anti-opioid BS. I am 66 years old, have suffered from a chronic pain disease since childhood, and have recently had a bout with cancer. It is obvious that Rep. Isenhart does not have a clue about pain. When you, or someone you love, finds themselves with cancer, Rep. Isenhart, will you still feel this way? I sincerely doubt you will spew the same ignorance. Walk a mile in my shoes!
Im tellen u,,,this has got to do w/dea employment,,,The dea is sp-ewing nothing but lies,,outright lies ,,false data,,,to convince these senators etc that opiates are badd,,,,demonize opiates,,,everytime,,except here,,I try to write these truth on any media outlets like cbs,nbc,,etc,,, I get censored,,,”They” don’t want our truth out,,,,,Why did our previous generation NOT have such a lieful demonizing idea’s of opiates,???I think the next Washington protest need to be scheduled 1 year in advance,,to give people time to save money etc,,,,,,jmo,,mary
Well seeing as though I have now been censored 2ce today on another site,,,cbs,,and Alliance natural health,,just say no to legal pain meds,” campaign,,,,I don’t know if Ill try commenting on their site..This is how they do it, they censure those telling the truth,,Soo no other thoughts are allowed,,,im pissst,,,,Fact is..NO-ONE has a rite to decide how much anyone is to suffer in physical pain,,NO-ONE,,,YET THESE ARROGANT SOB’S STILL THINK THEY DO like this idiots sitten at the conference table,,,,
Hope , Chuck gets cancer. Pill drop off so law enforcement can sell them on the streets . Mandatory health care ? In pain , no need to see a doctor , pain not a vital signs plus they don’t treat or manage pain . Got a bad tooth just yank it yourself no pain medicine or antibiotics. Every is going to die of something , it’s okay though , just do it in a lot of pain .