Pubdate: Mon, 18 Aug 2014
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer (OH)
Copyright: 2014 The Cincinnati Enquirer
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/aeNtfDqb
Website: http://www.cincinnati.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/86
Author: Mitch McConnell
Note: Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, is minority
leader of the U.S. Senate.

BILL WOULD REDUCE INFANT DRUG ADDICTION

Kentucky has a growing prescription drug abuse and heroin abuse
problem, and the scope of the problem is shocking. Our state has the
nation's third-highest mortality rate from drug overdoses, which are
largely driven by prescription painkillers. According to the Kentucky
Office of Drug Control Policy, about 1,000 Kentuckians a year fatally
overdose on drugs -- that's more than are lost to fatal car crashes.
Heroin deaths continue to climb and accounted for 32 percent of the
drug overdose deaths last year.

Earlier this year, I convened a listening session in Kentucky to hear
from those closest to the problem, including professionals in the
medical, public health, and law-enforcement fields as well as a brave
young man who managed to break free from heroin addiction after seeing
his friends overdose.

One issue that was raised during this session that particularly caught
my sympathies was the increasing number of infants being born in
Kentucky dependent on opiates in the form of prescription painkillers
and heroin. Researchers estimate that one baby every hour is now born
nationwide dependent on drugs and suffering from withdrawal.

According to the Kentucky Department for Public Health, the number of
hospitalizations due to newborn withdrawal in the Commonwealth
increased from 29 in 2000 to more than 950 in 2013 -- a more than
3,000 percent increase, and an indicator of a very alarming trend.

The situation is just heart-breaking. I say that especially as the
father of three daughters. These children are the most innocent
members of our society, and we must do all we can to protect them.

Thankfully, Kentucky is taking this problem seriously. Both the
Kentucky Perinatal Association and the Kentucky Perinatal Quality
Initiative Collaborative are dedicated to reducing the number of
infants born dependent on opiates. I applaud their efforts. And I
believe we can do more at the federal level to aid and assist their
work. Maternal addiction and infant opiate dependency are epidemics
that can best be overcome by effective coordination between those
dedicated to fighting them at the state and federal levels.

That's why I recently introduced the Protecting Our Infants Act in the
U.S. Senate, which is designed to address the scourge of opiate
addiction in newborns, as well as their mothers.

My bill will help identify and disseminate recommendations for
preventing and treating maternal addiction so that we can reduce the
number of infants born dependent on opiates and other drugs. The bill
would promote recommendations as to how to identify these babies born
suffering from withdrawal, and how best to treat them.

Also, because I heard during my listening session and in other forums
about the importance of more research into infant withdrawal and its
long-term effects, the bill would shine a spotlight on the problem and
encourage more leadership from the federal government on this public
health crisis.

The Protecting Our Infants Act would also encourage the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention to work with states to improve the
availability and quality of research data to help them respond more
effectively to this public health epidemic.

While there's still more to be done, I believe this bill is a step in
the right direction to help ensure that our public health system is
better equipped to prevent and treat maternal opiate addiction and the
resulting infants that are born dependent on opiates.

We certainly must do all we can to confront the human tragedy of
babies born dependent on opiates and suffering from withdrawal.
Helping the most innocent among us is our moral duty as caring members
of society.  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D