People experiencing an opioid-related overdose could get reversal drugs, such as naloxone, through a vending machine under a bill a House committee passed unanimously Tuesday.
House Bill 1035, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Sharon Cooper of Marietta, would protect pharmacists from criminal liability for filling up the vending machines, which are planned for use on Emory University’s campus and could extend to colleges across Georgia.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year approved two nasal spray drugs that administer naloxone for over-the-counter use, meaning users would not need a prescription to access Narcan or RiVive.
In introducing the bill to the Public Health Committee, Cooper referenced Georgia’s 911 Medical Amnesty Law. It provides criminal immunity for people who call 911 and stay with the person experiencing medical complications, such as choking or vomiting, even if both people were drinking illegally or doing drugs, so long as no one was the dealer.
“I can’t tell people enough to get the word out still,” she said.
The law has been extended to allow any person to administer naloxone to someone who is at risk of an opioid overdose.
Across Georgia, 2,390 people died from drug overdose deaths in 2021, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
“I hate to even bring this up, it kills me, because it shows how bad the problem is getting,” Cooper said.
She said she expects vending machines to be added on other college campuses, should the bill pass.
Jeff Breedlove, a policy adviser for the Georgia Council for Recovery, said fentanyl is a leading cause of death in the nation for adults between ages 18 and 35, and the machines have been “wonderful” to help save lives.
Because opioid use is stigmatized, vending machines that allow people in need to anonymously access the drugs are “a huge improvement,” said state Rep. Michelle Au, D-Johns Creek.
Several members of the committee said they keep opioid reversal drugs with them in the event that someone experiences an overdose. Narcan kits are also available in the state Capitol.
If the bill passes the full House, it will move to the Senate for consideration. The bill has bipartisan support and the backing of powerful Republicans. Cooper is chairwoman of the Public Health Committee, and Health Committee Chairman Lee Hawkins, R-Gainesville, is a co-sponsor.
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