Deaths related to opioid-related deaths in Iowa: report

MASON CITY, Iowa – Opioids … are effective painkillers, but all too often, these powerful drugs kill people who abuse them.

In October 2017, the opioid crisis was declared a national health emergency and, as lawmakers and health officials tackle the deadly problem, the Iowa Department of Public Health reports that the Opioid-related deaths appear to be decreasing in the state.

The number of opioid-related deaths from January to August of this year decreased by 35% compared to the same period in 2017, which means that 89 people died in the first eight months of this year.

Health officials said several factors had contributed to the decline, including the widespread availability of naloxone, a drug used to treat opioid overdoses in emergency situations, which was recently used at Prairie Ridge.

"There is a permanent prescription order in pharmacies for individuals.If you get an opioid prescription, you can get this prescription for naloxone, sometimes called narcotics, just to have them."

Kelly Grunhovd, of Prairie Ridge, is pleased to hear a decrease in the number of opioid deaths.

"There has been a sharp rise in 15 years of opioid-related deaths and overdoses, and in one year we collectively have been able to reduce the amount of 35% as a partnership between states."

YSS Francis Lauer is also concerned about the crisis because he has seen a slight increase in the number of teenage victims of opioid abuse and addiction. In addition to treatment, Andrea Dickerson, director of residential clinics at YSS Francis Lauer, said she used education to warn them of the dangers, whether in residence or outpatient.

"We also want to inform teens when they learn the dangers and inform them, so if you have to undergo a medical procedure, there are alternatives."

Grunhovd hopes that the number of deaths will decrease further.

"Opioid addiction is preventable and can also be treated, and for those who are not addicted to drugs, we can not prevent that, but for those who suffer from it, there are community support mechanisms and mechanisms to help them. get the help they need, recover and abstain from these substances.