WAUSAU – Governor Scott Walker signed Assembly Bill 658 and Assembly Bill 366 into law March 17 at Aspirus Wausau Hospital as a part of his Heroin, Opiate Prevention and Education (H.O.P.E.) tour. During the H.O.P.E. tour, Governor Walker discussed the impact this legislation will have on Wisconsinites who struggle with opiate abuse and addiction.
“Wisconsin, like many other states across the country, is noticing a dangerous trend – an escalating number of cases involving heroin and opiate use, addiction and overdose,” Governor Walker said. “The legislation we’re signing into law today as a part of our H.O.P.E. tour works to combat this trend by putting in place consistent guidelines and closely monitoring pain management clinics in Wisconsin.”
Aspirus and community leaders were on hand to support Gov. Walker and Rep. John Nygren, author of the bills. A former Wausau resident, Rep. Nygren said he was happy to be back at the hospital in which one of his daughters was born.
Aspirus CEO Matthew Heywood said that prescription drug abuse is a problem that plagues cities throughout Wisconsin, including the rural communities Aspirus serves.
“The strength of this legislation lies in its collaborative approach to a devastating social issue,” he said. “As a health care system, we see the effects of heroin and prescription drug abuse, but it will take a team of partners to address the problem.”
In 2013, more Wisconsinites died as a result of drug overdose than from motor vehicle crashes, suicide, breast cancer, colon cancer, firearms, influenza, or HIV, according to a report released in September of 2015 by the DHS. Drug overdose deaths in Wisconsin doubled from 2004 to 2013 and opioid pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone contributed to 45 percent of the 843 drug overdose deaths in 2013, while heroin contributed to about 27 percent.
Assembly Bill 658 – criminalizes the use, possession, manufacture, distribution, and advertisement of any substance or device intended to defraud, circumvent, interfere with, or provide a substitute for a bodily fluid in conjunction with a lawfully administered drug test.
Assembly Bill 366 – with the new discovery of so-called “pill mills” that prescribe highly addictive pain killers without demonstrable patient need, this legislation aims to prevent their spread into Wisconsin. The bill also creates a state pain clinic registry by requiring legitimate pain clinics to be certified by the Department of Health Services (DHS) in order to operate. This will put additional safeguards in place that protect against prescription drug abuse while ensuring legitimate clinics are able to continue to serve patients in need.