Opioid Antidote and Overdose Prevention Act
New Jersey Legislation Assembly No. 2082
Nicholas Faraldi
12/4/2014
Description of the Act and Sponsorship
The Overdose Prevention Act was last amended January 14th of 2013. The act was created to protect witnesses to overdoses so they could help someone who is overdosing with immunity from any prosecution. The act also encourages the use of naloxone or other opioid blockers to healthcare professionals to prevent the deaths of opioid overdoses. While not explicitly saying it, this bill is focusing on treatment of drug addiction instead of punishment for it. This bill was passed just prior to the heroin epidemic of Ocean County, New Jersey.
The bill was a bipartisan effort however …show more content…
The use of Narcan saved over 100 people in Ocean County and that has been a tremendous benefit stemming from the bill. While the bill itself does not state that police officers should be equipped with Narcan, they would not have been using it if were not for the passage of this bill. Prior to April of 2014 when police officers were first given Narcan, the amount of lives destroyed by these heroin overdoses was astounding. But because of this bill, many more were allowed a second chance.
Another benefit of the bill is the information that healthcare professionals are to provide a patient who has overdosed after reviving them. Patients are provided with information on where to get help and programs that will provide substance abuse treatment. They also refer patients to needle exchanges where they can get clean needles to help prevent the spread of disease. The needle exchange information is very important because healthcare providers know that most people are not going to go and get clean, at least not immediately and to prevent further harm to users, they give them access to clean needles so they do not make things worse for
New Jersey Legislation Assembly No. 2082
Nicholas Faraldi
12/4/2014
Description of the Act and Sponsorship
The Overdose Prevention Act was last amended January 14th of 2013. The act was created to protect witnesses to overdoses so they could help someone who is overdosing with immunity from any prosecution. The act also encourages the use of naloxone or other opioid blockers to healthcare professionals to prevent the deaths of opioid overdoses. While not explicitly saying it, this bill is focusing on treatment of drug addiction instead of punishment for it. This bill was passed just prior to the heroin epidemic of Ocean County, New Jersey.
The bill was a bipartisan effort however …show more content…
The use of Narcan saved over 100 people in Ocean County and that has been a tremendous benefit stemming from the bill. While the bill itself does not state that police officers should be equipped with Narcan, they would not have been using it if were not for the passage of this bill. Prior to April of 2014 when police officers were first given Narcan, the amount of lives destroyed by these heroin overdoses was astounding. But because of this bill, many more were allowed a second chance.
Another benefit of the bill is the information that healthcare professionals are to provide a patient who has overdosed after reviving them. Patients are provided with information on where to get help and programs that will provide substance abuse treatment. They also refer patients to needle exchanges where they can get clean needles to help prevent the spread of disease. The needle exchange information is very important because healthcare providers know that most people are not going to go and get clean, at least not immediately and to prevent further harm to users, they give them access to clean needles so they do not make things worse for