SPRINGFIELD - March 30, 2015 - The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police today announced its support for legislation(HB2743) to give patients broader access to abuse-deterrent opioids. It's a positive step toward reducing prescription medications on the streets that have the potential to be abused.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, opioids are medications that relieve pain. Medications that fall within this class include hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin), oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin, Percocet), morphine (e.g., Kadian, Avinza), codeine, and related drugs.
Illinois, like much of the nation, is fighting an opiate crisis in which opioids are being crushed, melted, and smoked to get a quick "high." This prescription drug abuse epidemic is responsible for killing more than 16,000 Americans every year.
"Law enforcement needs all the tools available to them to help get illegal opioids off the streets," said Ed Wojcicki, ILACP Executive Director. "Abuse-deterrent opioids do exactly that and ought to be more available to people who need pain medication so we can reduce the abuse potential out there."
Abuse-deterrent opioids contain physical and chemical properties that prevent chewing, crushing, grating, grinding, or extracting, or contain another substance that reduces the euphoria. Recognizing the potential abuse-deterrent opioids have in helping to combat the drug abuse epidemic, the FDA has made the development of this technology a priority.
