TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie stated on Tuesday that he would focus in his remaining 12 months in workplace on New Jersey's drug epidemic, together with promising to restrict the availability of opioid medicine that medical doctors might initially prescribe and searching for laws to require insurers to pay for at the very least six months of drug therapy.
Mr. Christie, a Republican, turned nearly all of his seventh State of the State tackle, normally an hourlong speech concerning the governor's priorities, into an impassioned speech laying out his plans to deal with a drug disaster that's claiming a whole bunch of lives a 12 months within the state.
"I can't have the blood of addicted New Jerseyans on my fingers as a result of we waited to behave," Mr. Christie stated. "I can't willingly watch one other 1,600 of our residents die and watch their households mourn and endure."
Practically 1,600 folks in New Jersey died from drug overdoses in 2015, a rise of about 20 % over 2014, based on information from the state health worker's workplace. Most of these got here from opioids, together with heroin and fentanyl.
Democratic leaders applauded Mr. Christie's give attention to drug therapy, but additionally stated that there have been different main points that state lawmakers and Mr. Christie wanted to cope with, together with college funding.
"When you closed your eyes, you'd assume you have been listening to a Democrat giving a speech," stated Senator Stephen M. Sweeney, a Democrat and president of the State Senate. "We welcome this dialog on habit. We'd like conversations on an entire host of different points."
Mr. Christie has centered a lot of his time in workplace on the problem of drug habit, and likewise made addressing the opioid epidemic a key plank in his unsuccessful presidential marketing campaign. Whereas in workplace, he has expanded drug courts, using the overdose-prevention drug naloxone and a prescription-monitoring program.
Amongst Mr. Christie's coverage proposals outlined Tuesday:
■ He stated that he was having his lawyer basic put collectively rules to require that medical doctors initially prescribe solely a five-day provide of opioid medicine for acute ache. A handful of states, together with Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine, have enacted comparable restrictions up to now 12 months.
■ He stated that he was altering guidelines so 18- and 19-year-olds might be thought of kids to chop down on ready lists for therapy beds.
■ He known as on state lawmakers to approve a change to require insurers to pay for at the very least six months of drug therapy.
■ He stated that the state would put collectively a college curriculum to show kids, beginning in kindergarten, about avoiding opioid abuse.
■ He additionally introduced a brand new telephone and on-line helpline at reachnj.gov and 1-844-ReachNJ.
Mr. Christie additionally advised the story of a state employee who attended a candlelight vigil final month to mark her son's 10½ months of sobriety. Two days later, the 23-year-old man was discovered useless of an overdose within the automobile of his mom, Pam Garozzo, Mr. Christie stated.
"That is the face of the epidemic of habit that's ravaging the state and our folks," Mr. Christie stated after introducing Ms. Garozzo and her husband to a standing ovation.
The speech comes as President-elect Donald J. Trump finishes filling out his administration with out a spot for Mr. Christie, one of many first main Republicans to endorse him after he ended his personal presidential marketing campaign. The governor stated he all the time deliberate to serve out his full time period, which ends in 2018. The speech additionally comes because the race to succeed Mr. Christie is starting, and as his job approval scores have fallen to document lows.
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