Senate Bill S8976

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S8976

SPONSOR: RITCHIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to require the department of health in conjunction with the
department of corrections and community supervision to study the effects
of certain substances on law enforcement officers involved in investi-
gations, raids, arrests and screenings at correctional facilities

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The proposed bill would study the short-term and long-term health
impacts of repeated exposure to illicit drugs like fentanyl, heroin,
crack cocaine, methamphetamines and various prescription drugs on law
enforcement officers involved in investigations, raids, arrests and
screening at correctional facilities

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill directs the department of health and the depart-
              

ment of corrections and community supervision to conduct a study.

Section 2 of the bill directs the departments to report their findings
to governor and the legislature.

Section 3 sets the effective date - immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

One of the little known side effects of the opioid epidemic and the
rising use of methamphetamine is the health effects experienced by law
enforcement professionals who are leading the effort to protect communi-
ties from illicit drug use.

  *10.3 million people abused opioids in 2018
  *Over 2 million people had an opioid disorder in 2018
  *Over 800,000 used heroin in 2018
  *Over 130 people a day died of opioid abuse in 2018
  *Over 47,600 people died of drug overdoses in 2018
  *81,000 people used heroin for the first time in 2018
  *Over 15,000 people died from heroin overdoses in 2018
  *Over 32,000 people died from overdoses from synthetic opioids

Across the country, overdose deaths from fentanyl, heroin, methampheta-
mines, opiates and other illegal drugs are skyrocketing.  Deaths involv-
ing synthetic narcotics other than methadone (including fentanyl and
fentanyl analogs) continue to rise. Those involving cocaine or psychos-
timulants with abuse potential (mostly methamphetamine) also continued
to trend upward. Overdose deaths from meth more than quadrupled from
2011 to 2017. Admissions to treatment facilities for meth are up 17%.
Hospitalizations related to methamphetamines jumped by about 245% from
2008 to 2015.

Along with the rise in deaths associated with drug overdoses, more and
more law enforcement officers and correctional officers are being
repeatedly exposed to these drugs in their efforts to reduce access and
investigate causes of death. Routinely, law enforcement officers report
being exposed to active methamphetamine labs, fentanyl, heroin, opiates
and other illegal drugs. Officers involved in drug investigation work
report that repeated exposure is causing a variety of health issues
stemming from repeated exposure to these illicit substances. Officers
involved in screening mail sent to correctional facilities are finding
that individuals associated with inmates are using increasingly sophis-
ticated methods to smuggle illicit substances into prisons resulting in
increased exposure to those responsible for detecting them and keeping
them out.

In light of the increased potential health effects that our law enforce-
ment officers face from exposure to illicit drugs, this legislation
proposes a study of the short-term and long-term health impacts of
repeated exposure to such drugs on law enforcement officers involved in
investigations, raids, arrests and screening at correctional facilities.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

Minimal.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately