Paul is in the studio with Assemblyman Evan Low/(D-San Jose) and Assemblywoman Marie Waldron/(R-Escondido) to talk about the introduction of legislation to combat the opioid crisis. The package of over a dozen bills will address the opioid epidemic by tightening prescription regulations, expanding access to alternative treatments, increasing prescriber training, and enhancing the tools available to health professionals and law enforcement.
Each day, the opioid crisis claims 91 American lives. On top of that, it is estimated that over two million Americans struggle with opioid addiction. In California, 1,925 people lost their lives from opioid overdoses in 2016. While the state as a whole has not been the hardest hit nationally, many rural California counties have some of the highest overdose rates in the country. For state and county overdose statistics, visit the California Opioid Overdose Surveillance Dashboard.
