Senator Portantino Introduces Bill Aimed at Reducing Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths
For Immediate Release: January 24, 2023
Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400
Senator Portantino Introduces Bill Aimed at Reducing Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths
Sacramento, California – Today Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank) introduced Senate Bill 234, a measure that addresses the rise in opioid-related deaths by making opioid antagonists such as Narcan readily available in schools and venues accessed by high-risk age groups. Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana) is a joint author of SB 234.
“With the increased availability of fentanyl and other potent drugs, deaths linked to opioid overdoses are rising at alarming rates. To combat the ongoing opioid crisis, naloxone should be readily available in schools, amusement parks, stadiums, concert venues and other locations to significantly reduce opioid-related overdose deaths,” stated Senator Portantino. “Where current law makes it optional to use Narcan for emergency purposes, SB 234 will require that it is readily available. We should equip schools and other impacted places with the tools they need to save lives. No parent should worry that a successful emergency treatment isn’t available to help a victim survive an overdose.”
The California Department of Health has reported a total of 6,843 deaths related to overdoses happened in the past year. This was up from the 5,508 deaths reported by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2020. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research also recorded a sharp spike in adolescent deaths from the approximate rate of 500 deaths per year from 2011-2019 to 954 deaths in 2020 and 1,146 deaths in 2021.
Naloxone (also known as Narcan) is a medication that reverses and blocks the effects of opioids and provides the opportunity for medical personnel to intervene. Administering naloxone does not harm individuals without opioids in their system. Existing law allows, but does not require, any school district, county office of education, or charter school to elect to utilize naloxone for emergency aid.
Massachusetts saw an 11 percent reduction in over-dose deaths in communities that implemented naloxone distribution programs and a large-scale national study showed that deaths decreased by 14 percent in states after they enacted naloxone access laws, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
“As the former Deputy Drug Czar under President Clinton, I know first-hand the extent to which substance abuse destroys the lives of individuals and their families,” said Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana). “This anguish is only amplified with the inclusion of fentanyl-laced substances in our drug stream. It’s clear that we have a major epidemic on our hands in California – I’m happy to be working with Senator Portantino to tackle this issue this year.”
SB 234 would require each elementary and secondary school in the state, including charter schools, to maintain unexpired doses of naloxone hydrochloride or any other opioid antagonist on its school site at all times, and that at least two employees are aware of its the location. The bill also requires the California Community Colleges, the California State University, the University of California, independent institution of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institution to maintain unexpired doses of naloxone or other opioid antagonists on its campus at all times. SB 234 also exempts a person on a college campus who, in good faith and not for compensation, administers naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist from civil or criminal liability.
Additionally, SB 234 would require each stadium, concert venue, and amusement park to maintain unexpired doses of naloxone hydrochloride or any other opioid antagonist on its premises at all times. A person who, in good faith and not for compensation, administers naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist on the premises of a stadium, concert venue, or amusement park, is also exempt from civil or criminal liability.
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