Mental Health
December 20, 2022
The opioidcrisis is forcing at least two lawmakers to get creative in findinga solution to solve the epidemic that has taken tens of thousands of lives injust the last few years.
Two Tennessee legislators are proposing a newpolicy that would effectively place a lock on pill bottles, requiring acombination code provided by a pharmacist for access. State Senator RichardBriggs and Representative Matthew Hill are pushing for a new law, known as thePilfering Prevention Act, that is aimed at curbing the opioid epidemic inTennessee that took 1,269 lives in 2017 and hundreds more inthe years following. More Tennesseans died from drug overdoses in 2017 than anyyear on record, and the lawmakers argue that pill bottles containing opioidsare too easy to open, and thus easy to steal.
“Too often well-meaning Tennesseans arecompletely unaware of the highly addictive, and potentially lethal,prescriptions drugs sitting in the family medicine cabinet,” said SenatorBriggs. “This is where drug addiction starts, and often where accidentaloverdoses occur. These drugs are being manufactured and prescribed in recordnumbers, and so it shouldn’t be a surprise that drug-related deaths are at anall-time high in Tennessee. We must explore every tool to combat this epidemic,and my bill is a practical and important step in the right direction.”
Senator Briggs and Representative Hill believethat the new policy could combat the epidemic and prevent drug abuse.
Says Rep. Hill:
“Currently, there is little distinction between the waycommonly-prescribed drugs and highly-addictive and dangerous drugs aredispensed in Tennessee. If we’re going to be serious about addressing ourobvious prescription drug problem in Tennessee, we have to implement safeguardsthat differentiate certain dangerous prescriptions and divert the possibilityof abuse. That’s what my bill aims to do.”
If passed, it will require certain dangerousprescriptions drugs such as opioids, stimulants, and benzodiazepines to begiven in lockable containers, preventing teens and young adults from stealingpills and subsequently getting hooked, while the pharmacist provides afour-digit code to the patient. While this will make it more difficult foradolescents to experiment with the drugs in their parents’ cabinets, theproposal runs the risk of simply putting a band-aid on larger problems thataren’t being addressed, such as the ease in which these drugs are sourced.
This isn’t the first proposed legislation of itskind. Lawmakers in Michigan, Maryland, and Colorado introduced a similar billlast year that failed to gain traction. One of the issues was cost -implementing a combination lock can add to the cost of a prescription by asmuch as five dollars, generating additional revenue while not necessarilysolving the issue.
Meanwhile, the drug war continues as addictionand drug-related crime increase. Legislators arestepping forward with a proposal that aims at making sure all opioidmedications are controlled, however refusing to solve or even adequatelyaddress the issue of pill theft on a human level.
One can look at the country of Portugal, whichintroduced sweeping reforms in a historical decriminalization of all drugs in2001, leading to remarkable effects on crime rates and overall populationhealth and well-being. Portuguese citizens use drugs substantially less than other EU nations.
Meanwhile, in the United States, action on thePilfering Prevention Act has been deferred in the Tennessee State Senate andLocal Government Committee to 2020.
Regardless of what kind of drug is it, it’simportant to practice safe storage and handling of medicine wherever you are.Rather than keep medicine handy and around at all times, store it in shelves upand away from sight. Use reminder tools to help you remember the right medicineat the right time and the right dose.
Here are some ways to remember:
The opioid epidemic is serious, and we know whatit is like to see a loved one suffer through substance use disorder. No one hasto go it alone.
At Ethos Structured Sober Living, communityis our method. We are a support system for one another in facing ourchallenges and building strength in recovery. Contact us today for more information at (323)942-9996. We’re happy to help!