S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  10120

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              June 16, 2014
                               ___________

Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. McDonald) --
  read once and referred to the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

AN  ACT  to  amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
  public awareness campaign on heroin and opioid addiction

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Legislative intent.  The legislature hereby establishes a
public awareness and educational campaign to  inform  the  public  about
heroin  and  prescription  opioid  pain medication addiction. Heroin and
other opioids are highly addictive and as  a  result,  a  public  health
crisis  has  emerged  in New York State.   This campaign will complement
existing programs administered by  the  Department  of  Health  and  the
Office  of  Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services on prescription pain
medication awareness.  The educational campaign will  be  statewide  and
should  be  designed to alert youth, parents, high risk populations, and
the  general  population  by  providing  educational  materials  on  the
subjects to schools and community groups.
  S  2.  The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 19.26
to read as follows:
S 19.26 HEROIN AND PRESCRIPTION OPIOID PAIN MEDICATION ADDICTION  AWARE-
          NESS AND EDUCATION PROGRAM.
  THE  COMMISSIONER, IN COOPERATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPART-
MENT OF HEALTH, SHALL DEVELOP, ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT A  PUBLIC  AWARE-
NESS AND EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN ON HEROIN AND OPIOID ADDICTION.
  (A) THE CAMPAIGN SHALL INCLUDE INFORMATION ON:
  (I) THE DANGERS OF THE ABUSE OF HEROIN AND THE HIGH RISK OF ADDICTION;
  (II)  THE  DANGERS OF MISUSE AND ABUSE OF OPIOIDS AND THE HIGH RISK OF
ADDICTION;
  (III) HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF ADDICTION FOR NON-MEDICAL  PROFES-
SIONALS;
  (IV) THE PROMOTION OF THE OPIOID OVERDOSE PREVENTION PROGRAM, PURSUANT
TO  SECTION  THIRTY-THREE HUNDRED NINE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW, AND THE
GOOD SAMARITAN LAW, PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 220.03 AND 220.78 OF THE  PENAL
LAW AND SECTION 390.40 OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW; AND

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD15079-04-4

A. 10120                            2

  (V) REDUCING THE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH ADDICTION.
  (B)  THE  CAMPAIGN  SHALL INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS THROUGH THE USE OF
SOCIAL AND MASS MEDIA, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,  INTERNET,  RADIO,
AND  PRINT ADVERTISING SUCH AS BILLBOARDS AND POSTERS. THE CAMPAIGN WILL
ALSO IDENTIFY AND RECRUIT INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE AS VISIBLE, PUBLIC AMBAS-
SADORS TO PROMOTE THIS MESSAGE. SUCH  AMBASSADORS  MAY  INCLUDE  PROFES-
SIONAL  AND  AMATEUR  ATHLETES AND CELEBRITY ADVOCATES FROM MEDIA, MUSIC
AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT MEDIUMS. THE CAMPAIGN SHALL INCLUDE AN  INTERNET
WEBSITE  PROVIDING  INFORMATION  FOR  PARENTS,  CHILDREN AND HEALTH CARE
PROFESSIONALS ON THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH TAKING OPIOIDS AND HEROIN AND
THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO  THOSE  NEEDING  ASSISTANCE  WITH  HEROIN  OR
OPIOID  ADDICTION. SUCH WEBSITE SHALL ALSO PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING
WHERE INDIVIDUALS MAY PROPERLY DISPOSE OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES IN THEIR
COMMUNITY AND INCLUDE ACTIVE LINKS TO FURTHER INFORMATION AND RESOURCES.
THE DEPARTMENT MAY CONSULT WITH RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL  ORGANIZATIONS  TO
DEVELOP  MATERIAL.    THE  CAMPAIGN  SHALL BEGIN NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER
FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN.
  (C) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PREPARE AN ANNUAL REPORT  TO  THE  GOVERNOR
AND  THE  LEGISLATURE  ON  OR  BEFORE DECEMBER FIRST OF EACH YEAR ON THE
PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN, INCLUDING:
  (I) ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE OFFICE TO  CARRY  OUT  THE  PUBLIC  AWARENESS
CAMPAIGN AND EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN; AND
  (II)  AN  ASSESSMENT OF THE NECESSARY APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE OFFICE TO
MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CAMPAIGN IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.