Prescription Drug Abuse
I co-sponsored a bill called Prescription Drugs-Physician Shopping (HB 127). I was asked to co-sponsor the bill by students of Jackson Hole High School. About 20 students at Jackson Hole High School belong to a statewide high school program called Youth for Justice. These high school students across the state picked a topic that they thought was an issue that needed to be addressed by the State Legislature. They chose the issue of prescription drug abuse.
They then researched the issue and helped to draft a bill. They found sponsors for the bill and then set about creating a brochure that explains the bill. The students from all across the state came down to Cheyenne this week and worked to educate legislator on the issue.
The students from Jackson did a really impessive job the past few days. They were professional and well received. They observed the debate this morning on the bill and the bill has now passed out of the House and moves on to the Senate.
HB 127 does the following:
- Makes it illegal to alter a prescription
- illegal to furnish false information or omit information to obtain a prescription
- illegal to fail to disclose that you have received the same presciption from another doctor within the last 30 days.
the bill provides for treatment for those individuals that are caught under this act, in order to assist them with getting off of their addiction.
Their teacher is Jennifer Shew who is doing a great job of getting our students interested in public service and understanding how our government works. Some school board members and our Supertendent came down with the students also.