Fighting the Opioid Crisis Together

Under Governor Raimondo’s direction, Rhode Island is taking an all hands on deck approach to fighting the opioid epidemic.

We looked at the data and saw that people leaving prison were at a very high risk of overdosing. So, we strengthened support for them, starting from day one. Now, we’ve reported a 61 percent decrease in overdose deaths for people leaving the prison system.

We’re the only state in the nation that provides comprehensive support for people who are incarcerated. We identify inmates struggling with addiction and provide treatment to those in need. When they leave prison, they go home with a plan to stay healthy.

That’s progress. But, there’s more work to do. Even one death is one too many, and we have to keep fighting.

Watch the Governor’s full video address on Facebook.

A little while ago, I met a mom named Karen, from Tiverton.

She told me about her daughter, who took her first Percocet at age sixteen. From that day on, her life changed forever. She went from Percocet to heroin and crack cocaine seemingly overnight. Karen described what followed as eight years of sheer terror.

Finally, she found her way out of addiction. Today, she’s been drug-free for over three years. And Karen feels like she has her daughter back again.

We’re fighting to make sure every Rhode Islander gets the help they need. But right now, unfortunately, too many lives have been cut short because of the opioid crisis.

As a state, we’re taking an all hands on deck approach to fighting this epidemic.

We’ve created a 24/7 hotline at 942-STOP to connect people in need with available resources. We’ve distributed more than five thousand doses of the life-saving drug Naloxone to cities and towns across the state, which can reverse an overdose on the spot.

We also looked at the data and saw that people leaving prison were at a very high risk of overdosing. So, we strengthened support for them, starting from day one.

Today, we’re the only state in the nation that provides comprehensive support for people who are incarcerated. We identify inmates struggling with addiction and provide treatment to those in need. When they leave prison, they go home with a plan to stay healthy.

We know that this is the time people are most likely to relapse. But this week, we learned that our comprehensive program is working. It has led to a 61 percent decrease in overdose deaths for people leaving the prison system.

That’s progress. But, there’s more work to do. Even one death is one too many, and we have to keep fighting. This study shows that we’re moving in the right direction, but we have to keep going.

Thanks, and have a good weekend.