Fight against opioid addiction in rural Indiana a focus of Wright legislative efforts
INDIANAPOLIS – State Representative Melanie Wright (D-Yorktown) said today there appears to be a growing consensus among lawmakers to address the state’s growing crisis caused by opioid addiction.
Wright joined other members of the Rural Legislative Caucus to hear a presentation from Craig Kinyon, CEO of Reid Health from Richmond, who discussed the impact of opioids on newborns. In America, an infant is born with an opioid addiction every 19 minutes and in Indiana 1 in 5 babies born at Community East hospital in Indianapolis were found to be addicted.
“As a schoolteacher, I am highly interested in seeing what can be done to help our children get a proper start in life,” Wright said. “It has become apparent that this is becoming a pervasive issue around the state and hopefully, we as legislators can do something about it.”
In Indiana, infants are tested for opioid addiction only if their mothers suffer from addiction.
These babies develop a dependence on the drug when in the womb and suffer withdrawal symptoms such as high-pitched crying, jitteriness, convulsions, fever and vomiting as soon as 24 hours after birth.
Indiana has exceeded all but 8 states in the number of painkiller prescriptions written in 2012. That averages out to more than 1 bottle of pills per Hoosier.
Indiana is also 1 of 4 states where the number of drug overdose mortality rates has quadrupled over the recent years.
“The first steps come in looking at this as a health issue, rather than a criminal one,” she continued. “If we are able to find ways to help families as a whole, rather than simply the person with the addiction, then I believe we are taking the proper steps toward solving this problem,” Wright added.
“I think the first steps are to start looking at this as a health issue instead of a criminal one, start helping families as a whole instead of just the person struggling with addiction. Another step would be to establish more centers to treat these addictions and provide the funding needed to help them do their jobs correctly.”
Wright noted that several proposals for addiction services are being considered in the Legislature this session. House Bill (HB) 1438, which provides greater flexibility for counties to implement needle exchange programs, already has passed the House. Other bills under consideration include HB 1509, which establishes a pilot program for mental health and addiction services; HB 1541, which creates addiction services teams; and HB 1544, which would expand insurance coverage for opioid abuse.
Caucus members also heard a report from the creators of Telehealth, which enables schoolchildren to gain greater access to health care through video conferencing.
“The first of these clinics actually opened in Elwood, with several more expected to be in place by the end of this year,” Wright said.
Telehealth works by allowing a child to see a doctor at school if they feel ill. The school nurse works along with the doctor during this virtual visit and the parents can even join.
The nurse will be allowed to examine the child using various pieces of medical equipment and the readings will be collected, sent and analyzed by the doctor. During the visit, the child can be screened, examined, diagnosed, treated and monitored.
“This health clinic will help parents who are unable to take their children to the hospital due to working. All they have to do is sign a consent form at the beginning of the school year,” said Wright. “It is a major step toward addressing health care needs in an area that has been traditionally underserved in rural parts of Indiana.”