Tuesday, March 12, 2013
OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today praised Oklahoma legislators for taking action on a series of bills aimed at reducing prescription drug abuse. House Bills 1781, 1782 and 1783, authored by Rep. Todd Russ in the House and Sen. AJ Griffin in the Senate, assist agencies in researching prescription drug abuse in Oklahoma, aid first responders treating suspected prescription drug overdoses and limit access to dangerous prescription pain killers. All three have been passed in the House. Additional prescription drug measures have also been sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Ron Sharp.
“My thanks go out to the Oklahoma Legislature for passing a series of bills that combat prescription drug abuse,” Fallin said. “Eighty-one percent of drug-related deaths in Oklahoma are caused by prescription drugs. Nearly 8 percent of Oklahomans are abusing prescription painkillers, twice the national average. Legislation being worked on this session will help to tackle this problem head on, save lives, and reduce medical expenses in the process.”