Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) has
announced that he is sponsoring legislation in the Assembly, A.8637,
which would help prevent accidental opioid overdoses and save thousands
of lives in New York by increasing access to the opioid overdose
antidote Naloxone. The legislation expands on a 2005 law Assemblyman
Dinowitz authored to establish opioid antagonists as effective
treatments. If administered during an overdose, Nalaxone can effectively
and safely reverses the overdose by blocking the effects of opiates on
the body.
“In
the last few months and particularly in the last few days there has
been a new light shed on accidental overdoses related to opioid abuse”
said Assemblyman Dinowitz. “This legislation will create further access
to a life-saving drug that when administered properly is known to stop
the effects of accidental overdoses. If we create more access in
conjunction with ramping up outreach efforts, we can help save thousands
of lives each year.”
Accidental
drug overdose is the number one cause of accidental death in New York,
exceeding even motor vehicle accidents. Studies have shown that most
overdoses are witnessed, and there is a 1-3 hour window in which an
opioid overdose can be reversed, making many deaths preventable.
Naloxone has proven to be a highly effective tool in reversing overdoses
when properly administered.
This
new legislation will allow for health care professionals to issue
standing orders, also known as non-patient specific prescriptions, to
certified training programs that would in turn train individuals on the
signs of overdose and provide them with the Naloxone kits. By increasing
availability of Nalaxone and access for those most likely to need the
antidote, this legislation will decrease the number of accidental deaths
caused by accidental opioid overdose dramatically.
The
problem of opioid abuse has reached epidemic proportions in some parts
of the country and although Assemblyman Dinowitz has been working on
expanding Nalaxone access for several weeks, two recent headlines,
including the tragic death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman to a presumed
heroin overdose, have highlighted the need to expand opioid treatment
options. An instance of a man’s life being saved in Rensselaer County by
a sheriff’s deputy trained as an EMT who administered Nalaxone has also
been in the news, and serves as a reminder that overdoses can be
effectively treated with lives saved. Both tragedies show just how
widespread the problem is, both geographically and societally.
“Now
is the time to take the next step in expanding access to this critical
antidote. Law enforcement organizations are taking steps to train their
members in administration, community based organizations are asking for
help in obtaining more Naloxone, and the families of victims and
potential victims of accidental overdose are asking for our help” said
Dinowitz. “I call on my colleagues to join me in supporting this vital
legislation.”
The
legislation in the State Senate, S.6744, is sponsored by Senate Health
Committee Chairman Kemp Hannon. The bill was reported out of the Senate
Health Committee this week, there has been no action yet in the
Assembly.
To become a law this bill must pass both the state senate and state assembly, and then be signed into law by Governor Cuomo.
