Sangamon Sun

In a Feb. 28 Facebook post, Rep. Sue Scherer (D-Decatur) discussed the unanimous approval of the Drug Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Act this week.

“Bipartisan legislation to save people from fatal drug overdoses is moving to the House floor,” Scherer wrote on Facebook. “The House Public Health Committee unanimously approved the Drug Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Act (House Bill 1121) this week, which will help medical professionals combat deadly fentanyl and other lethal drug adulterants. Both Democrats and Republicans backed the measure to let emergency responders test patients experiencing an overdose for potentially toxic causes that can be treated to save lives.”

In the Feb. 23 hearing of the Public Health committee, House Bill 1121 got bipartisan support, with 7 yeas and 1 not voting. The yea votes were: Reps. Mary Beth Canty (D-Arlington Heights), Theresa Mah (D-Chicago), Chris Miller (R-Robinson), Suzanne M. Ness (D-Carpentersville), Kevin Schmidt (R-Cahokia Heights), Anne Stava-Murray (D-Downers Grove), and Janet Yang Rohr (D-Naperville). William E. Hauter (R-Morton) did not vote.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that approximately over 106,000 people died from drug-involved overdoses in 2021. It also said the deaths from synthetic opioids and other similar opioids rose in 2021.

According to Trackbill, House Bill 1121 allows trained overdose responders at organizations enrolled in the Drug Overdose Prevention Program to dispense drug adulterant testing supplies to any person. The bill also notes storage requirements for those adulterant testing supplies.

“Deaths from opioid overdoses are as tragic as they are preventable," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a release. "By deploying harm reduction strategies and expanding drug-court treatment programs rooted in rehabilitation, we can save countless lives. Drug dependency is not a choice – it's a disorder and should be treated as such. These bills mandate the tools, resources, and compassion necessary to help Illinoisans with substance use disorders while addressing the opioid crisis head on."

According to the Illinois Public Health Department, Pritzker signed the Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Act into law in August 2019. The public law allowed for the establishment and operation of a needle and hypodermic syringe access program or syringe services programs.

To learn more about substance abuse, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website.