GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Wisconsin’s Task Force on Opioid Abuse met for the first time Friday in Green Bay to address the growing problem of drug addiction in the state.
A variety of policy makers, law enforcement and medical professionals make up the 12 person task force.
Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch says the meeting is about listening and learning, hoping for better solutions on ending the opioid epidemic in the state.
“This is not an urban problem, it’s not a rural or suburban problem. This is a scourge across our entire state and has swept the nation. Today, we aim for solutions.”
Kleefisch says they’ll address those solutions in two ways.
“Obviously you have the prevention aspect before people become addicted and then you have the secondary aspect; a policy matter we have to discuss of what happens after someone is addicted and how do you treat under those circumstances,” said Kleefisch. “We’ve seen solutions implemented and Wisconsin is well-known as a leader. There was just another article that came out today that named Wisconsin as a nationwide leader when it comes to heroin and opioid prevention and also solutions after addiction. But you’ve got to be able to address both in order to make sure the problem is truly nipped in the bud.”
Leading the force, Representative John Nygren, has a unique perspective on addiction with his daughter Cassie being a recovering heroin addict.
“What we’re trying to do is to provide better training to doctors, better access to information so that they perhaps see people that might be drug seeking, potentially diverting medications. That’s the information we’re trying to provide. Also educating the public that there are other alternatives other than addictive medications.” Next April, the state will be implementing a very usable prescription drug monitoring program where doctors and pharmacists will have to check a data base to see a patient’s usage.
