As the opioid overdose crisis continues, a bill passed by the state Senate would go after the drug suppliers.
The bill would establish the crime of third degree felony for someone who supplies a drug- like opioids- which results in a serious or permanent injury for the user.
Sen. Camera Bartolotta (from Beaver/Washington/Greene) says that statute now exists only in federal law.
“It’s far-past time for lawmakers to target the drug dealers who cause this pain and suffering in the first place,” she said.
Bartolotta says as a result of the opioid crisis, new laws have been created to limit prescriptions, enhance treatment, and improve public education about the dangers of drug abuse.
The bill now heads to the House.
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A new state senator is weighing in on the passage this week of a package of bills aimed to combat the state’s heroin and opioid epidemic.
Senator Joe Pittman- who represents about half of the residents in Butler County- says what the Senate did this week is an important step in trying to address this issue.
“The opioid epidemic is probably the most significant crisis we face — and have faced in many years. This package of bills is an important step in trying to address the issue,” said Senator Pittman. “Unfortunately there is no singular, silver bullet to solve it. We have to do our very best to give law enforcement and those who are on the front lines of dealing with this addiction and this crisis every tool possible. That is what this package seeks to do.”
This package contained seven bills that seek to do various things- including improving prescription drug monitoring, limiting opioid prescriptions and targeting drug dealers.
Lawmakers also point to several things that have been done in recent years to combat addition- including limiting prescriptions, improving and expanding treatment centers and improving public education about the dangers of drug use.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, opioid drug deaths statewide rose steadily in the early part of the decade before peaking at 5,559 in 2017. The number of opioid drug deaths finally declined in 2018 to 4,267. At the same time, opioid prescriptions in Pennsylvania declined by 14 percent between 2016 and 2017.