HARRISBURG – The Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee unanimously voted to approve legislation by Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33) that will drastically improve how the commonwealth tracks and responds to drug overdoses.
SB 1152 will require law enforcement and emergency medical services agencies to report all overdose incidents within 72 hours to the statewide Overdose Information Network (ODIN) or any other platform approved by the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) to capture real-time overdose reporting.
The PSP will be required to document the numbers, trends and patterns associated with known and suspected overdoses and issue an annual report available in an online format for reference by public officials and the general public.
Access to real time data will help public officials ensure that adequate overdose reversal drug supplies are available, substance use outreach efforts are enhanced and law enforcement investigations are undertaken to interrupt sources of deadly substances.
There were over 100,000 fentanyl and opioid related deaths nationwide in 2021, a 15% increase from 2020. Pennsylvania now ranks third in the nation for overdose deaths. Heroin and opioid overdose are now the leading cause of accidental death in Pennsylvania.
“While real-time tracking of overdose data has improved over the years, there is still a significant gap between what is reported and the actual statewide total incidents of overdoses,” said Mastriano. “While real-time tracking of overdose data has improved over the years, there is still a significant gap between what’s reported and the actual statewide total incidents of overdoses. Pennsylvania currently lags behind other neighboring states in accurately capturing and mapping real-time data. SB 1152 will drastically improve how our commonwealth tracks, maps, and responds to overdose incidents. The enactment of this legislation will help save lives as we continue to combat the overdose epidemic.”
Contact: Josh Herman