Senate President Introduces Drug Overdose Fatality Review Commission

From InDepth NH:

CONCORD, NH — Senate President Donna Soucy, D-Manchester, has introduced SB 744 which would establish the New Hampshire drug overdose fatality review commission. By reviving a commission established by an Executive Order issued by then Gov. Maggie Hassan, this bill will assist in the continued fight against the opioid epidemic that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of New Hampshire residents. The commission will review information and data related to drug overdose fatalities in New Hampshire in order to inform comprehensive policy development to fight overdose fatalities.

“In 2017, New Hampshire saw a record number of deaths by drug overdose,” Soucy said. “That number has thankfully begun to decline as we have increased state funding for substance use disorder treatment and enacted legislation aimed at ending the opioid epidemic. However, in 2019 we still lost 364 New Hampshire residents to overdose. While the number may have decreased, even one death is too many. We have taken it upon ourselves as a Legislature to do everything we can to fight this crisis."

Reviving the drug overdose fatality review committee established by then Gov. Hassan in this manner will give the state a clearer picture of what works, she said, and how officials can expand treatment and recovery options.

"I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate as we continue to fulfill our joint promise to fight the opioid crisis head on," Soucy said.

This story was originally published by InDepth NH.