U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., said recent passage of 58 bills by the House is a record-setting legislative package to address the opioid epidemic that he describes as a “killer on a rampage.”

On Jan. 1, Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control pills and patches, although so far, few pharmacists, and none in The Dalles, have taken the required training.

Prescription medication misuse and abuse is now higher than tobacco use among Wasco County 11th grade students, according to a 2015 state survey.