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We have done great work in Cabell over the past several years to move past the dark times when our beloved city of Huntington was making national headlines as the epicenter of the opioid crisis in the nation. We are finally seeing overdose deaths decrease here in Cabell and around the state. That said, we need to do more.

Although we are seeing fewer people die from overdoses, this trend could easily reverse itself, leading us right back into the same boat we were in 2017. Before COVID we were seeing a steady decrease in overdose deaths, but the pandemic and its consequences drove those numbers back up. So, we need to keep fighting and keep up the hard work or we risk sliding back in the same place we were in 2021 when numbers again soared.

We can continue to cut down on overdose deaths by passing common-sense legislation that look at ways to reduce the number of opioids prescribed. Fewer pills floating around means fewer people getting addicted, which ultimately saves lives. The Alternatives to PAIN Act would do just that.

The Alternatives to PAIN Act is a piece of federal legislation that is geared to do just this. It will expand access to non-opioid medications for people on Medicare Part D. This bill would limit cost sharing for non-opioid medications for those people on Medicare Part D òòò½ÊÓƵ” meaning it wouldnòòò½ÊÓƵ™t cost more to get a painkiller for a non-habit forming, non-opioid option. By improving access and affordability, non-opioid alternatives will become more widely utilized òòò½ÊÓƵ” saving seniors and their families from having to weigh the threat of addiction against the ability to stave off pain.

Seniors are an underreported group that is at risk for substance use disorder. In 2021, there were 1 million senior citizens diagnosed with substance use disorder. Fatal drug overdoses quadrupled for this age group in the past two decades.

While thatòòò½ÊÓƵ™s very sad to see, itòòò½ÊÓƵ™s not surprising when you consider the obvious risk because they often have to undergo surgeries that require pain management. Non-opioids medications are a perfect fit for this age group, as they are just as effective at treating acute pain without the risk of addiction.

Now, it might surprise some people out there to learn that there are already a handful of FDA approved non-opioid treatments for serious pain. And more are expected to be approved and on the market this year. They could change the game when it comes to fighting acute pain òòò½ÊÓƵ” if we can stop our health care system from defaulting to opioids in spite of all we know about the cost of opioid addiction.

It is a fact that many opioids make it to the street after being taken from a person who had a legitimate prescription. That is why seeing fewer prescriptions will help us cut down on the overall overdose death rate.

Leaders in Washington, D.C., recognize this, including those from right here in West Virginia. Both Rep. Carol Miller and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito were past co-sponsors of the Alternatives to PAIN Act in their respective chambers last session. I hope they will continue this leadership during this Congress and work hard to get this bill passed. We have no time to waste.

Steve Williams is the former mayor of Huntington.