LANSING (WKZO AM/FM) — District Judge Linda Davis says the families she sees in her courtroom, are sometimes devastated by opioid addiction and overdoses.
She says she is reminded of the heart-wrenching toll that HIV/Aids claimed on families she observed during a trip to South Africa.
She made the comments as LT. Governor Brian Calley signed the state’s latest package of bills to combat abuse of the drug on Wednesday.
The primary measures improve and require use of a new computer tracking system called MAPS that provides an easily accessed registry of everyone who is being prescribed painkillers.
Sponsor Tonya Schuitmaker says her fight against opioids began after Linda King lost her child to the drug, and began working with others for solutions. ‘
Two of the bills sponsored by Rep. Beth Griffin of Mattawan will add anti-opioid lessons to school curriculums.
Opioid abuse has become a bigger killer in our area than gun deaths, or auto accidents and Judge Davis fears it may become an even bigger problem in the year ahead.
