Avi Isreal
Avi Isreal got involved with the opioid epidemic after my 20 year old son, Michael, took his life on June 4, 2011 to get out of his addiction. Michael was prescribed in to his addiction by his doctors. Michael suffered for 12 years from Crohn’s disease. At the age of 18 when Michael aged out of Pediatric GI care and into adult GI care, he was given opioids; HYDROCODON for bowl surgery. He did not doctor shop, or look for the drugs on the street or college campus where he went to school. His doctors pushed the drugs on him. Whatever ailed Michael, they had a pill for it. Hydrocodone, Xanax, Cymbalta. In December 2010, Michael sat on my bed and told me he had a problem controlling himself with his pills, he knew something was wrong. He had an upcoming doctor’s appointment in a week, and I told him we’d talk to the doctor about it then. When I brought up the concern of Michael being addicted with his doctor, I was dismissed by the man that he knew better than me. In February 2011 after a second bowl resection, Michael was discharged from the hospital with a large supply of Hydrocodone, and no one, no one said anything to Michael or us his parents, about the dangers of addiction, or the consequences of the narcotics he was prescribed. Not the discharge nurse, not his doctors, not the pharmacist. That is when life spiraled out of control. In March 2011 Michael desperately wanted and needed help from his opioid addiction. He spent Easter weekend in a detox facility. A facility that our health insurance would only cover for 3 days of treatment. In May 2011 Michael made his first suicide attempt by putting himself in our family garage with the engine of his car running. He sent a text message to me saying I didn’t deserve a son like him. Michael was so full of self-loathing for what he thinks he became. Two weeks later, he contacted his social worker Melinda, assigned to him from the detox facility, asking her for help again. Melinda called Michael back in 5 minutes and 47 seconds and told him there were no beds or services available for him. Michael handed me his cell phone to speak with her and he went into the back of the house, went into my bedroom, locked the door, placed a shotgun under his chin and pulled the trigger. After Michael’s funeral, two of his best friends were at the house and together, we came up with a group called Save the Michaels of the World. It started out as memorial for Michael’s legacy. We have been instrumental in the passage of the NYS I-STOP Legislation. This is the Internet System for Tracking Prescriptions in real time. We approached our state senators with our ideas and mission for prescription drug reform which they wrote 4 bills called the Michael David Israel Laws. The attorney general adapted those bills into the I-STOP Legislation. We were successful in securing 50 beds that the state is sponsoring for addiction. We are the driving force in the western half of NYS pushing for doctor education partnering with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of WNY. Also pushing for public service campaign including radio, tv and billboards. Successfully testified before the FDA and successfully unscheduled Hydroconde from tier III to tier II. Currently in the process of introducing two more bills into state legislation. This will include prescriber’s education beginning in medical school; the other will declare chemical dependency as a chronic disease.
