We need funding in heroin crisis law
We have a heroin crisis in this state. Illinoisans are dying of heroin overdoses at twice the rate they were in 1999. Since 2012, in the Chicago suburbs alone, an average of three people have died a day.
This week, Gov. Rauner issued an amendatory veto of the Heroin Crisis Act, a proposal I supported in the Senate that seeks to address the epidemic of narcotic use in Illinois.
He declined to sign this bill unless the state of Illinois removes investments in treatment for those who need help covering the insurance costs.
As a society, we are coming to grips with the reality that drug addiction is not a war, but a public health concern - that the answer is not brutish incarceration but medical treatment.
According to conservative estimates, every dollar invested in addiction treatment programs yields a return of $4 to $7 as we prevent drug-related crime. The governor would have us believe that we can't afford to spend money on treatment - the fact is, we can't afford not to.
One of the provisions in the Heroin Crisis Act, Lali's Law, would allow pharmacists to dispense the heroin antidote Narcan. Lali's Law is a direct result of years of work between my office and the bipartisan Lake County Opioid Initiative.
Expanded access to a safe and effective heroin antidote will only help save lives. Gov. Rauner's veto has delayed action on a proposal that passed with little opposition and with the support of policymakers, activists, law enforcement organizations and many members of the governor's own party.
The Daily Herald's coverage of this public health crisis has been exemplary. If, like me, you would like to know why Gov. Rauner has declined to act, I urge you to contact him.
State Sen. Melinda Bush
Grayslake