Portantino’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Bill Passes Senate Floor

Wednesday, May 31 2023

For Immediate Release: May 31, 2023

Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400

 

Portantino’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Bill Passes Senate Floor

Sacramento, California – Senate Bills 234, authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank), passed the Senate Floor. The measure addresses the rise in opioid-related deaths by making opioid antagonists such as Narcan readily available in schools and other places accessed by high-risk age groups. Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana) is a joint-author of SB 234.

“The opioid crisis is real and tragic and we must do more to combat its impact on our children and neighborhoods and that includes making naloxone readily available for high-risk age groups,” stated Senator Portantino. “Current law makes it optional to use Narcan for emergency purposes and that’s not sufficient.  SB 234 will require it to be readily available. Our schools and other impacted places must have the tools needed to save lives and parents should not have to worry if emergency treatments are available to help in the moment of crisis.”

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. 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 Umberg. “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.  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.

 

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