Bill Text: NJ SR14 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Urges FDA to make naloxone available over the counter.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [SR14 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2016-SR14-Introduced.html

SENATE RESOLUTION No. 14

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

217th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  JOSEPH F. VITALE

District 19 (Middlesex)

Senator  NIA H. GILL

District 34 (Essex and Passaic)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Urges FDA to make naloxone available over the counter.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

  


A Senate Resolution urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to make naloxone available over the counter. 

 

Whereas, According to the Office of the State Medical Examiner, drug-related deaths in New Jersey have increased from 1,026 deaths in 2011 to 1,294 deaths in 2012; and

Whereas, The Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse recently reported that in recent years, New Jersey has experienced a dramatic surge in heroin and opiate abuse, particularly among persons aged 18-25; and

Whereas, On May 2, 2013, Governor Christie signed into law the "Overdose Prevention Act," which provides protection in the form of immunity from arrest, prosecution, and conviction for a use or simple possession charge when a person, in good faith, seeks medical assistance for himself or another person who is experiencing a drug overdose; and

Whereas, The Governor also recently issued a waiver to more than 28,000 certified EMTs to allow them to administer the drug naloxone to drug overdose patients in emergency situations Statewide; and

Whereas, Naloxone, an injectable opiate antagonist, can immediately reverse an opiate overdose and prevent overdose death; and

Whereas, Naloxone cannot be used to get high and is not addictive; and

Whereas, Research studies have found that making naloxone more widely available does not encourage people to use opiates more freely; and

Whereas, Overdose deaths can be prevented by making naloxone more readily available to those at risk of an opioid overdose, and to their families and peers; and

Whereas, Naloxone is regulated by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who held a hearing in April 2012 to consider proposals to make it available over the counter without a prescription; and

Whereas, The crisis of opiate abuse in this State and nationwide has only worsened since the FDA first considered making naloxone available over the counter two years ago; now, therefore,

 

     Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    This House urges the Food and Drug Administration to assert its authority to make naloxone available over the counter without a prescription, and to require the inclusion of a warning label providing the 24-hour toll-free number for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for any emergency situations that may arise.

     2.    Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and to each member of Congress elected from this State. 

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This Senate Resolution urges the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to assert its authority to make the drug naloxone available over the counter without a prescription, and to require the inclusion of a warning label providing the 24-hour toll-free number for the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for any emergency situations that may arise.  Naloxone is an injectable opiate antagonist, which can immediately reverse an opiate overdose and prevent overdose death. 

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