Congress must do more to fight opioid crisis: poll

Nearly half of Americans say they know someone who’s faced addiction to prescription painkillers, and more than 60 percent say the government needs to do more to stop the epidemic of painkiller and heroin abuse that’s sweeping the country.

The findings, from a Kaiser Family Foundation survey being released Tuesday, should help egg on Congress, which has been striving for legislative solutions to the problem.

Indeed, Americans put the opioid crisis right up there with contaminated drinking water as tied for the second biggest health problems facing the U.S. They trail only cancer, and came in ahead of concerns such as obesity and diabetes.

The House plans to vote next week on some 19 bills that would, among other things, allow some opioid prescriptions to be partially filled, set up an interagency task force to scrutinize prescribing practices, and promote the use of naloxone, an overdose-reversing drug.

The Senate already passed a bill in March to combat the opioid abuse by cutting the supply of dangerous prescription drugs and boosting therapeutic alternatives, and Republican leaders hope to meld the chambers’ ideas in conference.

The Kaiser poll suggests Americans want Congress to hurry up.

Roughly two thirds — 66 percent — of those polled think the federal government isn’t doing enough to combat prescription-opioids addiction, and 62 percent say it could do more to combat heroin use. A similar share of people say state governments aren’t doing enough to address the problem.

A smaller percentage, though still a majority, say it’s also up to doctors who prescribe painkillers must do more. And roughly one-third say police officers who enforce drugs laws could do better.

Congressional Democrats say money is the key to doing more. They’ve fought for $600 million to back anti-opioid efforts. “We are making good progress on the opioids authorization bill, but there’s no money in there,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, said Friday.

Democrats’ push has been stymied by Republicans who say the money can come later, but what’s needed now are changes to the laws.

Sen. Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican who was a chief author of the Senate bill, says action is needed so quickly that the House should simply approve the measure that already passed the Senate.

“I agree that the federal government must do more and be a better partner with state and local officials who are on the front lines every day,” he said, noting he spent three years developing his bill. “The Senate passed this legislation by a vote of 94 to 1. Now it’s time for the House to act so that the president can sign this measure and let it help the millions of Americans hurting from this national public health crisis.”

For now President Obama has proposed a series of regulatory steps to address the crisis without needing Congress’ help. His proposals would let doctors treat more addicts and require plans contracting with Medicaid to disclose, upon request, what type of mental health and substance abuse benefits they provide.

The Centers for Disease Control said the rate of opioid overdose deaths from prescription drugs and heroin hit record levels in 2014, killing nearly 30,000. It’s an epidemic that’s reached every corner of the country and affecting Americans regardless of race, gender or income.

Though opioid painkillers and heroin affect the body in similar ways, Kaiser’s poll suggests more Americans see abuse of the latter as a more pressing problem — 35 percent of Americans say heroin abuse is extremely serious, while 28 percent feel that way about prescription abuse.

About half of those polled say heroin addicts face a lot of prejudice and discrimination, compared to just 38 percent who think that about people who abuse painkillers. However, four out of every five heroin users got hooked by using painkillers first, according to the CDC.