NASHVILLE - Gov. Bill Haslam next week will announce a plan to "aggressively and comprehensively" address Tennessee's opioid crisis, the administration says.
The governor will be joined Monday by fellow Republicans Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, the Senate speaker, and House Speaker Beth Harwell as well as state Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Bivins to unveil a multi-strategy plan involving prevention, treatment and law enforcement.
"Some of that will be for an actual bill," Haslam told reporters Friday. "Others will be things that won't take legislative action but be part of a comprehensive plan to address the opioid issue."
Tennessee has one of the country's worst opioid problems with an estimated 6,000 residents dying over the past five years from causes attributed to both legal and illegal painkiller addiction.
Harwell, who is running this year to succeed Haslam, last year created a House task force to study the issue and come up with recommendations which it did.
Noting the impact of opioids "really touches so many aspects of state government," Harwell said, it will take somewhat of all-hands-on-board approach.