Addiction recovery advocates propose tax on prescription painkillers

ALBANY — Advocates for addiction recovery on Tuesday presented a wish list to state lawmakers, along with a way to pay for some of their proposed remedies: by imposing a tax on prescription opioids.

Modeled after a federal bill, the proposal by Friends of Recovery-New York would place a one-cent-per-milligram excise tax on the active opioid ingredients in every pain medication sold in the state.

Abuse of the prescription painkillers, such as Vicodin or OxyContin, has fueled the need to address an epidemic of addiction and overdose linked to the legal drugs and their illegal cousin, heroin. Stephanie Campbell, acting executive director of FOR-NY, likened the proposed tax to fees acquired from tobacco companies and used to fund smoking prevention and cessation programs.

“When the tobacco companies started to be held accountable for their contribution to the cancer epidemic and the heart disease epidemic and they had to start contributing to the solution … then things started to change,” Campbell said.

Read more: http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/272618/addiction-recovery-advocates-propose-tax-on-prescription-painkillers/