Traditional sober house operators concerned about new law requiring prescription drug access

A new state law requiring sober houses to allow residents to have access to prescribed medications has some advocates worried. Those who follow an abstinence-based addiction treatment model say the presence of these drugs could lead to chaos.

The idea for the law comes from a harm-reduction model that has become more prominent in recent years. Advocates of this approach say the medications are necessary because mental health illnesses often co-occur with substance use disorder.

Those pushing for the law want “to give people the chance to treat their mental illness and their substance use disorder at the same time,” said Andy Steiner, a MinnPost reporter who’s been following the story.

Steiner shared her reporting with MPR News host Tom Crann.

To hear the conversation with Andy Steiner, click play on the player above.

• Minnesota Poll: Only small fraction of Minnesotans say they’ve used cannabis recently despite legalization
• To grow Minnesota’s future forests, an effort to collect seeds takes root
• Expert blames child care crisis on ‘broken’ business model, offers solutions