HARRISBURG, Oct. 25, 2012 – A measure that would help Pennsylvania combat the growing epidemic of methadone abuse was signed into law Wednesday, according to state Sen. Mike Stack.
The new law creates a Methadone Death and Incident Review Team within the Pennsylvania Department of Health. This team will be responsible for conducting reviews for all deaths where methadone was either a primary or secondary cause of death and will develop best practices to prevent future methadone-related deaths.
Stack authored a similar bill, Senate Bill 895.
“Methadone use and abuse is a growing problem across this country, and communities in Pennsylvania are not immune to the impact of this drug on users and everyone around them,” said Stack (D-Phila.). “By enacting this legislation into law, Pennsylvania can take a serious look at methadone abuse and create meaningful solutions that will help curb the abuse of this substance.”
Methandone use has exploded across this country over the last 15 years. Deaths from methadone overdose have increased six-fold between 1999 and 2009, and nearly one-third of prescription painkiller overdose deaths involve this drug, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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