Valley lawmakers applaud House passage of opioid bill

Pictured from left, state Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, state Rep. Linda M. Gentile, state Rep. Themis Klarides. /Submitted photo

State Representatives Linda Gentile, D-Ansonia, Themis Klarides, R-Derby, and Nicole Klarides-Ditria, R-Seymour, are pleased to announce passage in the House of HB7052, a far-ranging bill which continues efforts to address opioid addiction. 

  

"This comprehensive bill is so desperately needed to address the ever growing opioid crisis that we have been experiencing over the last several years,” Gentile said. “This crisis has impacted virtually every state in our country, including Connecticut. It has affected families of every socio-economic class and we have seen a number of deaths right here in our Valley communities. No family should ever have to face such senseless, tragic loss. It is my hope that this bill will reduce these untimely deaths and reverse this heartbreaking trend of opioid addiction."

“Opioid abuse and overdose has overwhelmed society and demands that we take action to combat this scourge. Every week we read and hear about overdose deaths. Everyone knows someone who has been lost to this epidemic, and we need to wake up and take steps so that makes sense and will result in positive results,’’ House Republican Leader Klarides said.

"The opioid crisis has hit our communities and the state of Connecticut extremely hard," Klarides-Ditria said. "This legislation takes proactive steps to educate the public and children about the dangers of opioid abuse and will help us halt the spread of the opioid crisis. All of us in Hartford, Republicans and Democrats, are working together to find solutions to curb this disease once and for all."

Three of the more integral parts of the bill, AAC Preventing Prescription Opioid Diversion and Abuse are: 

•  Require that prescriptions be transcribed electronically to safeguard against over prescribing
•  Reduce the maximum number of days for a prescription from seven to five for minors
•  Allow patients to request drugs other than opioids to be prescribed.

Klarides said these are common sense ideas that will address the explosion of opioid abuse and overdose that has affected every segment of society in recent years.

The bill passed 146-0 and now heads to the Senate for consideration.

This is a press release from the House Democrats office.