Earlier this week, Governor Inslee released his opioid treatment proposal. (here) The plan will be rolled into potential legislation during the 2019-2020 sesson.

The governor’s proposal includes a multi-prong attack on the overdose crisis, with a $15.9 million budget for treatment and $4 million for prevention. The treatment arm includes four new hub and spoke networks to add to the existing six. These will hopefully streamline treatment access, especially in rural Washington state. There is also increased Medicaid funding for behavioral intervention and more anti-opioid drug availability. The proposal includes a pilot 40-bed treatment center to break up the cycle drug addict recidivism.

On the prevention side, money will be allocated to data tracking, prescription monitoring, youth drug education, and gang intervention.

As we learned from a recent Washington Policy Center panel discussion on the opioid crisis, multiple levels of government are required to attack the problem. (here) The federal government has the responsibility of preventing illegal narcotics from entering the U.S. and prosecuting illegal drug manufacturers and distributors. State and local governments must educate the public, especially youth, and establish facilities that will provide addicts with the necessary treatment and behavioral interventions to prevent further drug abuse.

Governor Inslee’s proposal is a good start, but dealing with the opioid crisis should be a priority of government. It doesn’t necessarily require more taxpayer money, but should force elected officials to eliminate social programs of questionable value and crack down on government waste and abuse. Simply using more Medicaid funds is not a viable long term solution to the crisis. (here)

The opioid crisis should be addressed in a meaningful way and should be treated as a social priority. (here)