Opioid Day at the State Capitol

Proponents of efforts to address opioid addiction gathered at the State Capitol Thursday, March 1, in an effort to encourage lawmakers to pass legislation that would curb the distribution of the pain-killing drug. Early in the day, the proponents spoke with the media.

"We have an epidemic on our hands," said Senator Chris Eaton, DFL-Brooklyn Center. "We have people dying. We have more people die in the United States last year from opioid overdose than we did from the Vietnam War."

Earlier in the year, Senator Eaton and Representative Dave Baker, R-Willmar, both of whom lost children to opioid addiction, joined Govenrnor Dayton in supporting the proposed Stewardship Program, which would charge pharmaceutical companies a one cent stewardship fee on each milligram of active opioid ingredient. According to administration officials, the fee would cost about one penny per pill and would raise $20 million dollars per year. The new revenue would be directed towards funding prevention efforts, emergency response, treatment and recovery programs and supporting law enforcement. The Dayton administration estimates that 16,800 Minnesotans are struggling with an opioid abuse disorder.