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In the past four years, the opioid crisis has grown from an afterthought in political campaigns to an important issue in some of this fall’s biggest midterm races, according to television advertising data from Kantar Media/CMAG. An analysis by The Wall Street Journal found that, so far in 2018, ads containing opioid messaging have aired more than 50,000 times across 25 states. At this point in 2014, there had been only one political TV ad touching on the topic that aired 70 times—in Kentucky’s Senate race. (Chinni, Jamerson and Dougherty, 9/19)

Chronic-pain patients in Maryland are asking for help in easing restrictions they face in getting drugs to treat their pain because of the crackdown on opioids. About two dozen people attended a rally in front of the Maryland State House on Tuesday where participants held signs that said: “Don’t Punish Pain,” and “Make Health Care Again.” (9/18)

The opioid crisis has gotten so bad that some employers are struggling to find sober workers. “The drug-testing challenge is a significant one for hiring,” said Charlie Weaver, executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership, an organization of 120 CEOs from companies that employ about 400,000 Minnesotans. (Magan, 9/18)