How's Your State Handling the Opioid Crisis

Women In Government Podcast

Women In Government Podcast State Opioid Taxes: Economic & Health Policy Implications There's a nationwide public health emergency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds more than 130 Americans die everyday from an opioid overdose. Increasingly, people are using illegal heroin and synthetic drugs, while the improper use of prescription opioids has been relatively flat in recent years. The national economic burden of this crisis is more than $500-billion annually when considering the value of lost lives. The impact of the epidemic varies from state-to-state, leading some lawmakers to propose taxing prescription opioids. Although, these drug bills are most often drafted to punish opioid makers, there are some side effects affecting cancer patient and survivor treatment and pain options. On this episode of the Women In Government Podcast, our panel discusses the impact of the opioid epidemic on the states and potential policy solutions. ••••• ••••• ••••• Moderator: Lucy Gettman, Women In Government executive director Featured Guests: GUEST #1: Alex Brill, chief economic officer, Matrix Global Advisors GUEST #2: Marc Hymovitz, director of government relations, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network ••••• ••••• ••••• For more information and to read the State Opioid Taxes: Economic & Health Policy Implications White Paper, visit www.womeningovernment.org Audio courtesy of OSUCHLUCK Productions - [e-mail]