LANSING, Mich. — A group of state officials announced Wednesday a bi-partisan package of bills to combat the opioid epidemic in Michigan. The bill will expand availability of medications in emergency departments and will increase access to naloxone, a life-saving drug that can reverse overdoses.
According to the state, overdose deaths decreased in 2018 and 2019, but increased in 2020. Preliminary data for January-June 2020 show 1,340 overdose deaths, up from 1,155 in those same months in 2019. That’s an increase of 16%.
Similarly, opioid-related overdose deaths increased from 874 in the first half of 2019 to 1,045 in the same period in 2020, an increase of 20%.
“This epidemic touches every area of our state and we are losing nearly five Michiganders every single day to opioid overdoses,” said Lt. Gov. Gilchrist.
“This legislation will help bring us closer to ending this epidemic by expanding access to treatment and to life-saving medications which can increase their chances of a successful recovery and prevent additional tragedies among our families.”
More information on the bills can be found here.
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