The opioid epidemic continues to be a significant problem in Arizona, according to a new report from the Arizona Public Health Association. That’s despite efforts in 2018 by the Legislature and governor to put a dent in the crisis.
That year, they approved the Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act, a bipartisan measure which, among other things, put restrictions on the number of opioid pills doctors could prescribe. The new study looked at data from the time that measure became law, and found a slight drop in the number of deaths from prescribed opioids, but an increase in deaths from fentanyl.
So what else needs to happen to try to get a handle on this crisis?
To discuss that, The Show spoke with Raminta Daniulaityte, an associate professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University, where she researches substance use with a focus on opioid use specifically.
