Senate Sends Sweeping Opioid Package To Trump To Sign; Advocates Laud Legislation’s Focus On Treatment
It was a rare bipartisan feat that brought the massive opioids package together that also gives both sides a win right before the contentious midterm elections. Included in the bills is a crackdown on the flow of synthetic opioids from other countries, expanded treatment options, and provisions promoting research to finding alternative pain treatments.
The Washington Post:
Senate Easily Passes Sweeping Opioids Legislation, Sending To President Trump
The Senate passed the final version of a sweeping opioids package Wednesday afternoon and will send it to the White House just in time for lawmakers to campaign on the issue before the November midterm elections. The vote was 98 to 1, with only Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R) opposing it. (Itkowitz, 10/3)
CNN:
Senate Passes Legislation To Fight Opioid Epidemic
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell referred to it as "landmark" legislation in remarks on the Senate floor on Wednesday, saying that the bill will bring "relief to American communities that have been decimated by the scourge of substance abuse and addiction." McConnell said that the package will "deliver critical resources to establish opioid-specific recovery centers," and "will help law enforcement stop the flow of opioids across borders and increase safeguards against over-prescription." (10/3)
The Hill:
Senate Sends Bipartisan Package To Fight Opioid Epidemic To Trump's Desk
In the House, Republican incumbents in tough reelection races touted their work on the bill, while in the Senate more Democratic incumbents lauded the progress. For example, Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), who faces a tough race in a state President Trump won handily in 2016, praised the bill from the Senate floor Wednesday and pointed to the inclusion of provisions he worked on. Some Democrats say the bill is a good first step but more work still needs to be done, including more funding. (Sullivan, 10/3)
In other news on the crisis —
Stat:
Opioid Settlement Will Take Time, But May Cost Less Than The Big Tobacco Deal
The sprawling opioid litigation confronting drug makers and distributors is likely to take years to resolve, but cost less than the infamous lawsuits that were filed against Big Tobacco and, not surprisingly, will hurt some companies more than others, a new credit analysis suggests. For the moment, the litigation is still in the early stages and the first trials are not scheduled until September 2019. But despite the uncertainty, any potential settlement is expected to be “considerably lower” than the $206 billion deal reached with the four largest U.S. cigarette makers in 1998, according to analysts at S&P Global Ratings. (Silverman, 10/3)
The Washington Post:
Fentanyl Test Strips Lead To More Caution Among Illicit Drug Users
Illicit drug users who are certain that fentanyl is mixed into the heroin they consume are much more likely to take precautions that reduce their chances of overdosing, researchers reported Wednesday in a small study. The survey examined the use of fentanyl test strips by 125 injection drug users in Greensboro, N.C., over a two-month period last year. Distribution of the small strips has become an increasingly popular “harm reduction” technique in the past few years among groups trying to protect drug users from overdosing on the powerful narcotic that has swept most of the United States. (Bernstein, 10/3)