South West Illinois News

State Rep. Dave Severin (R-Marion) is calling attention to a rise in drug overdoses across the country known to be tied to the growing dependency on drugs such as fentanyl.

Severin shared a post from WSIL News 3: “America’s drug epidemic is the deadliest it has ever been, new federal data suggests,” the Facebook post said. “More than 100,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States during the 12-month period ending April 2021.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention also reports deaths are up 28.5% from the same period a year earlier and that opioids continue to be the biggest drivers of addiction. Over a yearlong period ending in April 2021, the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reported fentanyl-related deaths are up 49% from the year before, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl accounting for nearly two-thirds (64%) of all drug overdose deaths.

Over that same time, John Hopkins University reports another 509,000 people died from illnesses brought on by COVID-19.

"What we're seeing are the effects of these patterns of crisis and the appearance of more dangerous drugs at much lower prices," Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, told CNN. "In a crisis of this magnitude, those already taking drugs may take higher amounts and those in recovery may relapse. It's a phenomenon we've seen and perhaps could have predicted."

Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, experts report the use of synthetic drugs was already on the rise, adding that the lingering impact of the pandemic may have exacerbated the use of the drugs to the point things may now be at the point of no return.

"Even if COVID went away tomorrow, we'd still have a problem. What will have an impact is dramatic improvement to access to treatment," said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, medical director of opioid policy research at the Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

The SW Illinois News reported Severin has recently chastised Gov. J.B. Pritzker over what he argues is his tendency for enacting bills that give him too much power over pandemic measures while negating the rights of parents.

”Governor Pritzker has been allowed to manage the pandemic on his own as the House and Senate Democrats have sat idly by, yielding to his every demand, bowing to every Executive Order,” Severin said of a change to the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act he argues gives Pritzker too much power against lawsuits filed against his vaccine or testing mandates.

The amendment prohibits the HCRCA from being used as a tool to challenge the state's COVID-19 prevention measures.

“I’ve been working to get our state back open, to get kids back in school, to get people back to work after the shutdowns," Severin said. "I have also encouraged people to get the vaccine if it makes sense for them. I have totally opposed the mandating of the COVID-19 vaccine, especially for our first responders, police, nurses, doctors, and EMTs. They were the ones helping us fight this pandemic from the very beginning. Now Gov. Pritzker and Illinois Democrats are threatening them with losing their livelihoods because of a deeply held conscientious or religious belief they hold. That is wrong."

At the same time, the House passed legislation paving the way for the elimination of the requirement that parents or guardians of minors be notified within 48 hours of the minor seeking an abortion (HB 370).

”Illinois House and Senate Democrats have now added the removal of the right of a parent or guardian to know if their minor child is about to have an abortion to their growing list of leftist progressive policy advancements,” Severin said. “This is a dangerous change in law, that removes fundamental rights of parents to be made aware of serious medical decisions being made in their children’s lives.”