Gov. Nathan Deal, joined by members of the General Assembly, signed legislation to address issues of opioid abuse during a ceremony at the State Capitol on May 4, 2017. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal Thursday signed three bills into law aimed at addressing the growing opioid abuse problem in the state.
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SB 121 exempts Naloxone, the emergency drug used to reverse opioid overdoses, from the dangerous drug list when it is used for drug overdose prevention and supplied by a dispenser for various types of rescue kits. This law – named the Jeffrey Dallas Gay, Jr., Act in memory of a young Hall County man who died from opioid addiction – also codifies the executive orders put in place by Deal in 2016.
SB 88, the Narcotic Treatment Programs Enforcement Act, requires the Department of Community Health to create minimum standards and quality of services for narcotic treatment programs seeking licensure in Georgia.
Provisions of HB 249 include moving the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program from the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency to the Department of Public Health.
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“The three bills I signed into law today will enable us to more effectively fight the ongoing opioid epidemic that impacts individuals, families and communities across Georgia,” said Deal. “I am confident that this legislation will help save lives and give hope to the victims ensnared by this epidemic as well as their loved ones.”
Watch the signing ceremony here
