State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey says he thinks putting warnings on opioid-based pain killers would be just one part of a much larger effort to address West Virginia’s prescription drug abuse problems.
“It’s one step of many, many steps that we need to take, as a state, in order to ensure that the prescription drug overdose issues come down,” Morrisey said on Tuesday’s MetroNews Talkline.
Earlier this week, he signed on to a letter with officials from 42 other states and territories that calls on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to put “black box” warnings on all opioid-based pain killers.
It would warn pregnant women that those drugs can cause Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), a series of serious health problems a newborn can suffer as a result of exposure to illegal or prescription drugs.
There could be problems with a baby’s nervous system, gastrointestinal tract and respiratory system.
Morrisey says the number of NAS cases are growing in West Virginia.