Directs the commissioner of health to conduct a study to identify, analyze, report, and medically combat new or previously unseen opiate/opioid compounds found…

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

• Republican3
• Democratic1

This bill has cosponsors from more than one party.

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Robert Rolison says this is needed

Hundreds of new deadly synthetic drugs have been introduced onto the streets of New York since 2009, yet the drug testing utilized in hospi- tals across the state is not capable of identifying the NPS (Novel Psychoactive Substances). Patients cannot be diagnosed and properly treated without knowing which drugs are in their system. The Identify Dangerous Drugs Act (IDDA) will commission a study about overdose patients receiving treatment in our hospitals. So that we can better understand and help solve this issue that plagues New York. Since 2009, several new synthetic opioids including fentanyl and nitaz- enes have been introduced across New York State and the rest of the country. These deadly substances often lead to terrible consequences including thousands of deaths, addiction, and the destruction of fami- lies. Their continued use often leads to repeated theft and/or violence by people who suffer from addiction. Unless the new and commonly used cpiate/opioid compounds, used in combination with other illicit substances, are identified and studied, the patients cannot be properly treated or given the proper antidotes to save their lives. Emergency room or hospital-based toxicology labs do not have the neces- sary equipment, trained personnel or time to identify these new synthet- ic drugs and properly develop treatment protocols. Most hospitals only have the equipment designed to detect basic street drugs and cannot identify specific opiate analogs that cannot be combated by universal opiate-reversal drugs such as Narcan. Accordingly, comprehensive drug screening is expensive and generally not covered by insurance. As a result, many overdose patients do not receive medical treatment effec- tively targeting and combating their deadly symptoms related to the use of new or uncommon opiate/opioid analogs, additives or combinations of illicit drugs.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.