This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
It has been a year since my wife, Celeste, and I lost our son Tennyson to a heroin overdose May 12, 2015, a mere 21 days after his 33rd birthday. We were both helpless to stop his death as he died in front of our eyes at 8:40 p.m. This year has been especially difficult, as we both have struggled to find our life without him in it.
Tennyson's nine-year struggle with addiction changed his personality greatly from the little boy and young adult we had so carefully nurtured, exhibiting so much promise, to someone we barely knew and absolutely did not understand. We now realize that our profound ignorance of the disease of addiction caused us to make so many mistakes in our attempts to help him in the last few years of his life. Mistakes that seemed to push our beloved son deeper and deeper into the abyss of his disorder. I have personally found over the last year that the most difficult part of learning to live without him is knowing that his death was preventable. I am haunted by that realization.
During this past year, we have worked diligently to advocate for policy changes in the prevention, treatment and recovery of substance use disorders. We know changes in addiction policy are fundamental to saving addicted lives. Key elements to effective prevention, treatment and recovery include the following:
1. Elimination of opioid medications for chronic pain management: Prescribing opioids for catastrophic care or surgery only and for the shortest term possible. Not prescribing opioids to mask symptoms of mental disorders, but providing comprehensive psychiatric treatment.
2. Effective evidence-based addiction treatment: Treatment must be long enough to determine the underlying reasons for the patient's addiction. Detoxing only is never enough. Required length of treatment varies with the individual. Patients released after only being detoxed without receiving treatment are at the highest risk for overdose death. This is evident with adult addicts who are by law able to direct their own care and leave treatment.
3. Naloxone overdose kits: Having a kit and knowing how to administer it is imperative in the effort to help save an addict's life. Naloxone was approved for use with a prescription in Utah in April 2014. Physicians were reluctant to prescribe it, and Tennyson was released from treatment without a kit. He relapsed and died. Legislation enacted this year makes Naloxone available without a prescription from your pharmacist, or see utahnaloxone.org.
4. Involuntary treatment of adult addicts: A Utah law based on "Casey's law" enacted in Kentucky and Ohio would've allowed us to take responsibility for Tennyson's care. We would have been given his condition information and charged with making critical care decisions for him. Please understand that although addicts may appear to be functioning, they are mentally impaired by the substance and cannot make rational health care decisions. Today's laws do not recognize this fact, and adult addicts are killing themselves.
5. Ensuring quality addiction-treatment programs: The Utah State Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health is this year implementing a program to review adolescence addiction treatment facilities throughout Utah for their proficiency in providing the key elements of quality evidence-based care. The results of their findings will be posted on a state website providing patients and loved ones with the information they need to select the right program for their needs. The division will also help facilities improve identified deficiencies in program quality.
While this year has been difficult for us, we are encouraged by the policy changes that have taken place in Utah since Tennyson's death. Changes that will save lives. Celeste and I want to thank the following people who through their leadership and compassion have been instrumental in effecting these changes: Rep. Edward Redd, Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, Rep. LaVar Christensen, Sen. Brian Shiozawa, Rep. Mike Mckell, Rep. Steve Eliason, Rep. Eric Hutchings, Mary Lou Emerson, director of USAAV, Mary Jo McMillen, executive director of USARA; Brent Kelsey, assistant director of DSAMH; Becky King, Shanin Rapp, Crystal Garcia, DSAMH staff, and Mark Lewis, concerned parent.
Dennis Cecchini is an architect and CEO emeritus-retired of MHTN Architects Inc. in Salt Lake City.