The opioid crisis has had a widespread and destructive impact on Arkansas. Individuals have struggled to overcome addiction and communities have invested in treatment and recovery to break the cycle of dependence, giving families hope in the fight against opioid abuse.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is now the number one cause of overdose deaths in our state. Federal, state and local leaders are implementing a wide range of strategies to combat this devastating reality. One key to moving us in the right direction is making life-saving medication more well-known and readily available.
Arkansas first responders and law enforcement have been administering Narcan, the nasal spray form of naloxone, to reverse an opioid-induced overdose. More than 1,500 people in our state have been saved as a result, and that number will continue increasing.
In March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved access to this medication without a prescription for emergency use during a suspected opioid overdose. With the option to purchase this product over-the-counter, more people will be able to dispense it.
Just months ago, Arkansas legislators passed a new law requiring public high schools and universities to have naloxone drug overdose kits available on campus. The initiative gained the attention of one of my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives who introduced similar legislation for schools nationwide.
Further efforts to fight opioid addiction can be seen in the creation of the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (AORP). The Association of Arkansas Counties and Arkansas Municipal League partnered to launch this initiative to ensure the state’s $200 million from the national opioid settlement are targeting the best practices and programs to help reduce the scope of the epidemic.