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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | September 16, 2016 04:30 PM |
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| From: | Representative Jeffrey P. Pyle |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Mandatory Vivitrol Treatment to address Opioid Addiction |
| Dear Colleagues- Later next week, I will be submitting a proposal to address our Commonwealth’s opioid addiction problem. Attached you will find an article from my local newspaper chronicling the use of Vivitrol as an addiction recovery vehicle for Armstrong’s incarcerated addicts. The article recaps a pilot program our recent budget funded and we were fortunate to have been selected. Please read it. This horrific Commonwealth-wide tale of addiction can be turned back. The use of Vivitrol would be a substantial tool for us to consider as it would allow us to address this pandemic as proactively in stopping the addictions which cost our neighborhoods and families much more than the cost of the injection WHICH, by the way, is covered by the ACA. I will be proposing that any citizen who has been resuscitated twice through the use of Narcan must be enrolled mandatorily in a Vivitrol program similar to what the following article reports. I do not feel it possible, given our short session schedule days, to pass this into law before spring but felt the good results from this pilot program were too substantial to ignore. I will be refiling this proposal in the spring as well. Vivitrol is not a new drug but for those not knowledgeable, its best analogy would be to Antabuse taken by alcoholics. Like Antabuse, Vivitrol removes the addict’s ability to get “high” from heroin/opioid usage. They could still take the illegal drugs, but their body would not give them the “buzz” they are seeking. Vivitrol also curbs many withdrawal symptoms and lets the addict get clean without the prolonged sweats, shakes and nausea. More importantly, it offers hope and in many addiction cases, the commonality is a loss of hope. I recently learned Armstrong County trails only Philadelphia County in per capita heroin/opioid addictions. We have had success in reducing recidivism utilizing a program combining Vivitrol, in jail counselling and a commitment from the addict to remain on a monitored schedule of Vivitrol applications/further counseling when released. I hope you will consider co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation. Jeff |
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Memo Updated: September 16, 2016 04:32 PM