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Michigan lawmakers announce bills after opioid deaths spike

LANSING, MI (AP)--   Initial state data shows a 20-percent increase in opioid overdose deaths in the first half of 2020 from the previous year.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers announced a package of bills Wednesday during a media conference to mandate supportive practices in hospitals and increase access to life-saving medications.

A key aspect of the bills is to increase access to Naloxone, a drug used to reverse opioid overdoses. Supporters of the bills, including the state's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, said the drug can stop preventable loss of life.

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