House passes bill named for Gladwyne overdose victim
WASHINGTON - The House passed a bill Wednesday aimed at combating opioid abuse and named for a Gladwyne resident who died after struggling with addiction.
WASHINGTON - The House passed a bill Wednesday aimed at combating opioid abuse and named for a Gladwyne resident who died after struggling with addiction.
The John Thomas Decker Act would require the Department of Health and Human Services to study and report on the information given to young athletes about the dangers of opioid abuse, alternative treatments, and how to seek help, according to the measure's sponsor, U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, a Republican from Delaware County.
The bill is named for a 30-year-old who died in January. His family believes it was caused by an accidental drug overdose as John Decker grappled with heroin addiction.
Decker became addicted to pain pills after multiple surgeries for a knee injury, sustained while playing basketball. It started with an OxyContin prescription, according to his family.
"Nationwide, young people who play sports and suffer injuries have become a demographic particularly susceptible to addiction," Meehan said.
Adolescent men who play sports, he said, are twice as likely to be prescribed painkillers and four times more likely to abuse them than non-athletes.
Democrats have criticized Republicans for, in their view, talking about the opioid crisis but refusing to approve more funding to address the issue.
The bill was approved as part of a package of measures aimed at dealing with opioid addiction. It must be reconciled with a Senate package before it can head to President Obama.
@JonathanTamari