While officials continue to battle an increase in opioid abuse across the state, a new law, Public Act 16-43, will go a long way in limiting access and excess of opioid medication, according to State Representative Sean Scanlon (D-98), who wrote a provision for the bill. Governor Dannel Malloy signed the bill into law on May 27.

“I was incredibly proud to watch the bill get signed into law alongside several mothers from my district who sadly know the devastating consequences of this epidemic and who worked with me over the last year to help make this law possible,” said Scanlon in a release.

The law aims to limit opioid prescriptions for adults, but also limits all prescriptions for minors to a seven-day supply and requires the prescribing physician to discuss the risks of opioid use with a parent or guardian.

“The goal of this law is to ensure that an 18 year old getting their wisdom teeth out doesn’t get sent home with 50 pills when they only need 10,” he told the Courier.

Beyond limiting prescriptions, the law also includes several provisions that require emergency responders to be trained in the use of a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, require health insurance providers to give coverage for overdose reversal drugs, and expand the membership of the Connecticut Alcohol and Drug council, among others.

While the law limits some prescriptions, Scanlon said it will not affect those individuals suffering from chronic pain or other serious illnesses who need opioid medication, a concern that was raised during the drafting of the law.

“We heard these concerns loud and clear and that’s why we explicitly exempted people with chronic pain and terminal illnesses from this law and the seven-day limit does not apply to them,” he said. “We want those folks to have access to these pills and this law does that.”

Scanlon said the law is just the first step in battling the larger issue of addiction surrounding the abuse of opioid medication.

“My message since I started working on this in early 2015 is this: as a community, we need to talk about addiction like we talk about cancer,” he said. “This is a disease and if we keep stigmatizing it, people and families will be afraid to get the help they need and deserve and more people will die.”

Along the shoreline, local communities have felt the impact of the growing crisis according to Guilford Youth & Family Services Director Karolin Regan.

“Connecticut has seen a dramatic rise in prescription drug and heroin abuse,” she said. “No community is immune from this crisis including Guilford.”

Regan said she was pleased the bill was signed into law.

“This will lead to a reduction of unused pills that can be abused in our communities,” she said. “This is great news for Guilford and the state of Connecticut because it will decrease the risk of developing an addiction and reduce unintended access by youth and adults to opioids.”

In Guilford, Regan said they are also doing their part to try and reduce unused prescription medication through drug take back events.

“On the last Drug Take Back Day in September, 80 pounds of medication were collected,” she said. “Individuals can also drop off any unused or unwanted prescriptions for proper disposal at the Guilford Police Department entrance on a daily basis.”

This year’s Drug Take Back Day date will be announced in the coming weeks.