opioid epidemic, social issues, opioid crisis, legal, opioids, heroin

In ongoing attempts to fight the spread of opioid addiction, legislation was passed in The House on June 22, 2018. The legislation gives federal agencies more power to prevent deadly synthetic opioids such as fentanyl from crossing into the country, as well as providing increased resources for addicts. The legislation, named SUPPORT for Patients and Communities, is expected to have a monumental impact on the way we approach opioid medication. The expectation is that ultimately the number of opioid painkiller prescriptions given out will be reduced dramatically and that development of alternative painkillers with less potential to be damaging or harmful will be accelerated.