Senate Bill S7675

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S7675

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
health education regarding alcohol, drugs, tobacco abuse and the
prevention and detection of certain cancers

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

This bill would require the commissioner of education to make
recommendations every two years on the sequential and comprehensive
education regarding the dangers of using alcohol, tobacco, and other
drugs, including but not limited to opioids.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1 amends subdivision 4 of section 804 of the education law to
require the commissioner to make recommendations every two years on
the education curriculum relating to the use of alcohol, tobacco, and
other drugs, including but not limited to heroin and opioids.

 JUSTIFICATION :

A federal report indicates that some children are already abusing
drugs at age 12 or 13, which likely means that occasional use begins
even earlier. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration). Locally, treatment centers across New York State
              

report housing 12 and 13 year olds who are receiving inpatient
treatment for heroin addiction. In Westchester area schools,
counselors report that by the winter break they received "reliable"
reports of 65 students misusing opiates. These reports coming directly
from students or from friends or family members.  (http://www.
lohud.com/story/news /loca1/2015/12/30 /school-counselors-sayo
piate-use-common- among-teens/78 007260/.  These numbers, from both
treatment centers and schools around the state are far beyond the
normal trends of drug use at various ages.  And those on the front
lines of interacting with students say these numbers of heroin and
opioid use are only increasing.

This is all frightening information. The heroin and opioid epidemic is
spreading quickly and young adults need to be informed of the true
dangers associated with drug use. Unfortunately, as many addiction
specialists explain, once individuals are caught in addition, the only
ways out of this cycle are entering treatment services voluntarily or
as required through the intervention in a criminal process, and even
more tragically, many succumb to overdoses and death. Today, the
numbers of youths losing their lives to this addiction is staggering,
with some counties projecting actual population loss from the high
fatality rates (http://www.buff alonews.com/cityregion/ove
rdose-deaths-wiping- out-erie-county-p opulation-gains-20160426)

The New York State, the commissioner controls the education curriculum
statewide. In this position, the commissioner is best situated and
informed to institute a swift and strong change to prevent the spread
of drug use. With a sequential and comprehensive education plan, the
dangers of drug use will be introduced to children and reinforced year
after year to hopefully curb any desire to try these dangerous
chemical.  This legislation and curriculum plan is crucial to protect
our young students, who are among the most vulnerable individuals in
New York.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION :

This act shall take effect on December 1, 2016.