Decatur – The opioid addiction problem in Illinois brought the U.S. surgeon general to the state this week.
Attorney General Vivek Murthy says the nation can end the opioid epidemic only if there is a change in the way addiction is viewed. Murthy made his comments while visiting a substance abuse treatment facility with Senator Dick Durbin, (D) Illinois. Senator Durbin cited a rise in overdose deaths from prescription opioids and heroin in Illinois.
The opioid addiction problem in Illinois was the subject of a WAND TV I-Team report in July. Opioids are painkillers and are frequently prescribed by doctors. Heroin is also an opioid and is relatively inexpensive to purchase.
Murthy asserted addiction is not a moral failing or a character flaw, but instead is a chronic illness that should be “treated with skill and urgency.”
