Wisconsin wise for working to fight opioid abuse

It has become more than just a problem, it has become an epidemic. That is true across Wisconsin, and in La Crosse. That’s why it is good to see the state of Wisconsin taking a number of additional steps to fight opioid abuse. Governor Walker yesterday signed a series of executive orders and issued directives to state agencies directing them to ramp up the state’s fight against heroin and opioid abuse. The actions are the result of recommendations by the Governor’s Task Force on Opioid Abuse. They follow a series of other similar laws passed by the Wisconsin legislature in recent sessions designed to crack down on the heroin epidemic. Make no mistake, these are no silver bullets which will end this epidemic. But they are wise and necessary steps to do what we can to prevent people from becoming addicts, and to help those who do. This has taken a lot of work, on the state and the local level in recent years. La Crosse’s Task Force on Heroin Addiction has also worked hard to address this problem locally. Yet we continue to hear stories, locally and elsewhere, about the problems heroin causes in our communities. It is good to see the state recognizing that, and doing what it can to address the growing problem.