Issue Position: Heroin Enforcement & Treatment

Issue Position

As Attorney General, one of my top priorities is combating the spread of heroin and going after illegal opiate abuse, whether it is prescription or narcotics. I have met with dozens of parents and grandparents who have lost loved ones to an overdose and anyone who pushes opiates like heroin in Kentucky needs to be held accountable for the devastation that it brings to our families and our communities.

As one of the most addictive drugs on Earth [1], heroin can kill in the very first dose. It is devastating families in all parts of our Commonwealth and in all walks of life. Thanks to a much-needed crackdown on "pill mills," certain abused prescription drugs have become harder or more expensive to obtain, leading heroin use to skyrocket. [2] The data shows that we can only expect this epidemic to get worse right here in Kentucky.

According to the most recent Overdose Fatality Report, in 2013, 31.9 percent of all overdose deaths came from heroin, an increase of more than 20 percent in just one year. [3] To put this statistic into the context -- more Kentucky citizens now die from drug overdoses than car wrecks. [4] We simply must make stopping heroin and its disastrous effects a statewide priority.

I've spoken with Kentucky legislators, police, doctors, and families from all across our Commonwealth, and with their help, I believe we need to take these five steps to help save our children and our families without further delay:

1. Increase the penalties for dealing -- While recent sentencing reduction laws may be appropriate for other drugs, they are wrong for heroin. The penalties for dealing heroin must be so severe that a drug dealer will decide to sell anything but heroin. The penalties must also carry a mandatory minimum, so drug dealers know that selling any amount of heroin will result in substantial time in prison.
2. Pass A Good Samaritan Law -- So many of our Commonwealth's overdose deaths could be prevented if other drug users were not afraid to report overdoses. The fear of being arrested has cost the lives of children and friends, and a Good Samaritan Law will encourage reporting of overdoses and will help save Kentucky lives. More than twenty states have passed similar laws, [5] and Kentucky must catch up.
3. Provide Naloxone To All First Responders -- Naloxone is an important and effective tool to prevent death when our first responders arrive at an overdose in time. [6] Yet currently, only certain groups carry it while on duty. Heroin is killing more and more Kentuckians each week, but some of these tragic deaths are preventable. To save lives, we must provide Naloxone to all first responders in our Commonwealth and train them on its use.
4. Fund Treatment -- Heroin addiction is hard to beat. While new laws require some drug treatment to be covered by health insurance, many covered treatments are too short, and don't work for many addicts.[7] We must do more for our families and our children who are suffering.
5. Education, Education, Education -- The most effective way to combat heroin is for people not to use it. We must educate both Kentucky children and adults that taking heroin -- even just one time -- can ruin your life and devastate the lives of those around you.

These crucial steps simply cannot wait, and the legislature must act as quickly as possible during this current legislative session. I urge all Kentuckians to join me in pressing our legislature to come together and take action on these common-sense reforms. And, if the legislature will not act now, then I will as one of my first actions as Attorney General. The threat of heroin is too great and the damage inflicted on our communities is too severe to wait any longer.

[1] "Heroin: A Vicious Downward Spiral," Dana Sparks, Mayo Clinic News Network, 2/10/2014
[2] "Heroin surges as Kentucky cracks down on pain pills," Laura Ungar and Chris Kenning, Courier-Journal, 5/16/2014
[3] "Overdose Fatality Report," Office of Drug Control Policy, 2013
[4] In 2013, 1007 individuals died from drug overdoses in Kentucky, while 638 people were killed by traffic collisions.
[5] "DRUG OVERDOSE IMMUNITY "GOOD SAMARITAN" LAWS," National Conference of State Legislatures, 11/14/2014
[6] "Naloxone (Injection Route)," Mayo Clinic
[7] "Heroin addicts face barriers to treatment," Associated Press, 4/7/2014

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