Mothers of victims of opioid overdoses overjoyed by passage of law aiming to save lives

DES MOINES - As the governor meticulously signed the bill into law, Kim Brown and Sue Van Camp embraced each other and cried.

For Brown and Van Camp, this day was a long time coming.

The two Davenport women stood in the governor's formal office in the Iowa Capitol on Wednesday and watched Gov. Terry Branstad sign into law a measure that allows first responders and some others to possess and administer opioid antagonists to people who are experiencing an overdose.

The new law cannot save Brown's and Van Camp's sons, both of whom died from overdosing on heroin. But the women hope it will help prevent others from suffering the same fate.

'This was wonderful,” Brown said. 'Being able to save a life, being able to save somebody else's son or daughter, mother, father, brother, sister, aunt (or) uncle, is extremely comforting to me.”

Brown's son Andy Lamp died from an accidental heroin overdose in 2011. Van Camp's son Ben died from an overdose in 2014.

Both women spent years advocating for the new law.

'A lot of hard work and it finally came to fruition,” Van Camp said.

Branstad said the state should continue its effort to reduce opioid addictions, but he called the new law a step forward that will save lives.

Iowa becomes the 47th state to have such a provision.

'This removes barriers for first responders and people in a position to assist in assessing and having opioid antagonists readily available,” Branstad said. 'This bill is a direct attempt to mitigate the number of opioid overdoses in our state and the deaths as a result.”

That's exactly what Van Camp and Brown hope for.

'We can't have our boys back, but maybe we can help another one,” Brown said.