Year in review: Opioid crisis worsens in Iowa

*This storyline was voted as one of the top storylines of 2017 by Gazette staff. Other top storylines include the debate over the defunding of Planned Parenthood, flood repair efforts and Branstad's new role as ambassador to China among others.*

The national opioid crisis continues to claim 175 lives a day across the United States, and Iowa is projected to reach 201 opioid-related deaths this year — surpassing last year's total, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

As of Nov. 30, the number of opioid-related deaths in Iowa was 157, including 78 deaths from overdoses, according to a departmental report. There were 180 opioid-related deaths in all of 2016, which was more than triple of 2005, according to the health department.

In Linn County, overdoses have increased over the last two years, according to the Eastern Iowa Heroin Initiative: In 2015, there were 20 overdose deaths and 330 hospital admissions. In 2016, there were 27 deaths and 874 hospital admissions.

In October, President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, but fell short of fulfilling his vow in August to declare 'a national emergency' on opioids, which would have triggered allocation of federal funding.

In November, the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis issued dozens of recommendations to battle the problem, which includes streamlining drug-prevention grants issued to states and creating more drug courts and diversion programs.

The commission didn't suggest how much federal money should be allocated to fighting the crisis, but the top recommendation was to provide states with grants for fighting addiction and substance abuse.

Iowa Rep. David Heaton, R-Mount Pleasant, a co-chair on the health care budget committee, pledged in October that the committee will produce some form of legislation in 2018 to combat the epidemic. He said he hopes lawmakers will overcome previous failed attempts and pass measures that will help address opioid addiction.