Legislators tackle opioids

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pills-bottle opioids

Alabama is at Ground Zero in the opioid overdose crisis — last year the state had the highest national number of opioid prescriptions, more than the state’s total population, according to a report by insurance provider Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Which is why State Senators — Lineville-Republican Gerald Dial, Springville-Republican Jim McClendon, and Scottsboro-Republican Steve Livingston — along with representatives from Kaleo Inc., will hold a press conference on Thursday at the State Capitol in Montgomery to announce phase two of a statewide effort to combat the opioid crisis in Alabama.

There, state leaders and members of the media will be briefed on the success of phase one, and announce the beginning of a supplemental grant of EVZIO® devices.

“Opioid abuse continues to be one of the most critical issues our society faces — over 49,000 Americans died last year from opioid overdoses,” Dial said. “This affects every family in Alabama, and we need law enforcement agencies, schools, churches, and private companies to come together to rid this scourge from our state.”

In May, Kaleo Inc. donated of 872 boxes, which each hold two devices, to carry in state volunteer rescue vehicles. The device called Evzio auto-injects the life-saving drug naloxone and contains a voice recording that talks an untrained non-medical professional through administering it.