Ledisi Kurt Daudt owe et Repreenaves District 178 n ‘Speaker: ied September 18, 2017 President Donald J. Trump ‘The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. 20800 Dear Me, President ‘The Minnesota State Legislature asks that under Section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. § 247d, you designate the opioid epidemic asa public emergency. Last week on September 15°, the Department of Health and Human Services committed $14, millon in grants to prevent and treat opioid addiction. We are grateful for thes: funds that will provide needed training and care for first responders, pregnant and postpartum women, and vulnerable adults in crisis. However, the Minnesota State Legislature requests that you formally designate the opioid epidemic asa public emergency to allow Health and Human Services Secreary Tom Price o properly respond with all available resources to the opioid epidemic. “The Minnesota Department of Health recorded 344 opioid-elated deaths in 2015 and 402 deaths in 2016, making opioids the leading cause of drug-related deaths in out state." Deaths from synthetic opioids in “Minnesota doubled from 2015 to 2016," Last year, the number of Minnesotans who died from opioid abuse rivaled the number of traffic fatalities.” [Not only has Minnesota seen a precipitous increase in opioid-related deaths, the slat is also experiencing an alarming rise in the number of dividuals requiring emergency treatment for opioid use disorder. On 9 aily basis, Minnesota's emergency rooms are providing life-saving care with very limited resources to ‘people misusing opioids. Opioids are now the second-most frequently abused drug in Minnesota * Minnesota is struggling to contain the opioid epidemic within our state. Our state is ranked 30" forthe highest number of opioid deaths in the nation.* Nationally, opioids were responsible for mote than 33,000 ‘Olson, 1 (2017, May 2. Minnesota opioid deaths rise despite attention intervention. Star Tbune ito ora staribune com/minnesta pis eath-se despite attention intervention 24836053) finest Department of Health (2016) Drug overdose deoths among Minneset resident, 20002015. 8S. hp wr eal state ma.us/sheathmprovement/contet/documents/201S0pioidDeathReport pd * Minnesota Department of Public Slt, (2017, Toto! Minnsoto rood oa in 2016 oppaaching 40 Press eas p/p mn el enisionsooc/news tleases/Pages/ Total Minnesota Road Fatalities in 2016-Agproaching- 400 arp *Winnesota Deparment of Human Seruces, (2017), nnesota stat orgeted respons 0 the oped cs. PE & ‘ntps/fma gor assets/mn-opllt-st-project-naratveapri-2017_tem053 289624 pat " center for Disease Contos WONOER dtabar,htp//wne. nashingtonpostcom/news/wonk/wp/ 2016/12/13) where pistes ile the mont peop: 2015/hpidanp_hp-mare topstories. opelds (830pmihomepages2rstoryaut,term=sa6ad0eo24ec op Oave Saar S90 Sie Ce Bn. 10 Rav Or arn Ler rg iv Pa Monat 865 Prone: (61) 205608 Fp farms’ Se) Same sca San, 109 Rev Grr ater Rng St Pau Mra 355 Pron: 6S ® _deaths in 2015 alone, Opioid abuse has permeated every state in the nation, and ona daily basis, ninety- ‘one Americans die ftom an opioid overdose and more than 1,000 are treated in emergency rooms for misusing prescription opioids © During Minnesota's 2017 legislative session, the stat legislature worked to addres ths criss by passing legislation thatincluded new strategies to init the epidemic.” Minnesota funded an opioid abuse prevention pilet project providing grants to groups that promote collaboration between local health care coordination, education, and eommunity supports to determine the rot causes of opioid abuse. Another Pilot project receiving funding enables hospital systems to look at altemative ways to treat pain without the use of opicds. Additionally, the lepsiature passed legislation addressing the problem of over- presenbing poids Despite Minnesota's efforts and investments, state and national trends do not look promising. The opioid crisis needs to be confronted simultaneously atthe local, stat, and federal levels, across human services and public safety departments, to comprehensively combat opioid abuse. The immediate actions of Secretary Price and yourself will allow our state government to make necessary preparations forthe elivery of much-needed services before our next legislative session in February Although we look forward to the work thatthe recent HHS appropriation will accomplish, we respectfully ‘request that you designate the opioid crisis asa public health emergency under the Public Health Service ‘Act to empower Seeretary Price to begin a coordinated effort to treat and prevent more opioid-relared ‘eaths. We ask that you expedite this process so that eritcal funds and resources can become availabe to vulnerable Minnesotans and Americans. ‘Thank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to solving this problem with your DoS uh LAD Pee eps on Dn Speaker of the House * Center or Oiseese Control. 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