Addressing the Opioid Crisis - March 5, 2018

GLASSON: We need to make sure that opioid addicted folks in our state, patients that are addicted to opioids, need to make sure that they have access to the treatments that they need and they need to be affordable. Too many families have been torn apart or have lost a loved one because of an addiction. As a nurse, I know that addiction is an illness just like any other medical illness, and we need to make sure that we address opioid addiction- any other addictions- in the same way that we treat someone that has a heart attack. I think it's really important that we- we talk about the issue, we make sure that we invest in solutions and treatments. We also may need to make sure on the front end, when we know someone may have an addiction, we have mental health services available to those people, those individuals, so that they get the treatment they need before they're overdosing and dying in our cities and towns in Iowa.