Gov. Rick Snyder has created a state council to better coordinate Michigan's fight against the opioid epidemic.
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley will lead the council that was established by Snyder's executive order Tuesday.
The formation of the Council on Opioid and Prescription Drug Enforcement was recommended by a prescription drug and opioid abuse task force in 2015. It will address, develop and maintain relationships among local, state and federal agencies that enforce drug laws and regulations.
The new council will meet monthly and is meant to be different from the Michigan Prescription Drug and Opioid Abuse Commission, which Snyder created more than a year ago.
A new CDC opioid study found that opioid deaths are on the rise in the state, and more than 4,000 people have died between 1999 and 2015.
