BHB/4/10
Sponsored by Runhe Gu, Henry Thurman, Landon Corn of Ravenwood High School
This legislation was filed in the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH LEGISLATURE |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section 1: Terms in this act are defined as follows: |
| 4 | Opioids: a class of drugs that include synthetic opioids such as fentanyl; pain relievers available |
| 5 | legally by prescription, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine; and the illegal |
| 6 | drug heroin. |
| 7 | Opioid addiction: the chronic use of opioids that causes clinically significant distress or impairment. |
| 8 | Over-the-counter drugs: a medicine that can be bought without a prescription (doctor's order). |
| 9 | Examples include analgesics (pain relievers), such as aspirin and acetaminophen. |
| 10 | Prescription drugs: a medicine that can only be made available to a patient on the written |
| 11 | instruction of an authorized health professional |
| 12 | Psychoactive drugs: substances that, when taken in or administered into one's system, affect |
| 13 | mental processes, e.g. perception, consciousness, cognition or mood, and emotions. |
| 14 | Drug abuse: The use of illegal drugs or the use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs or alcohol |
| 15 | for purposes other than those for which they are meant to be used, or in excessive amounts. |
| 16 | Substance abuse: overindulgence in or dependence on an addictive substance, especially alcohol |
| 17 | or drugs. |
| 18 | Illegal drugs: drugs that a person is not allowed to own or use by law. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | Section 2: This act will decrease the rate of drug abuse in the state of Tennessee and prevent drug |
| 21 | or opioid abuse. |
| 22 | Drug and opioid abuse has many devastating health effects, such as seizures, stroke, damage to |
| 23 | mental health, brain damage, and lung disease. |
| 24 | The abuse of prescription drugs is having disastrous consequences in the state, including overdose |
| 25 | deaths, increasing hospital costs and emergency room visits, children being put in state custody, |
| 26 | and incarceration for drug-related crimes. |
| 27 | Substance-abusing youth are at higher risk than nonusers for mental health problems, including |
| 28 | depression, conduct problems, personality disorders, suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, and |
| 29 | suicide. |
| 30 | |
| 31 | Section 3: Under this act, multiple substance abuse treatment facilities will be improved, including |
| 32 | healthcare providers, mental health agencies, and community organizations. |
| 33 | These facilities will receive the proper funding to obtain more resources for treatment and/or make |
| 34 | treatment more accessible. The treatments that could be used for substance abuse can include, |
| 35 | but are not limited to: nicotine replacement therapies, methadone, buprenorphine, nalxetrone, and |
| 36 | acamprosate. |
| 37 | Furthermore, resources will be provided for the operation of specialized drug enforcement units |
| 38 | and task forces targeting the trafficking of illegal drugs, opioids, psychoactive drugs, and |
| 39 | |
| 40 | With added resources from this act, the unit can conduct more extensive investigations, cover a |
| 41 | wider area, and execute operations with greater efficiency. This allows for a more effective and |
| 42 | successful approach to drug enforcement. |
| 43 | Weapons, financial support for operations, and equipment will be provided to the TN Drug |
| 44 | Investigation Division to strengthen their operations to combat drug trafficking. |
| 45 | |
| 46 | Section 4: The evaluation of cost is determined by different independent factors: the enhancement |
| 47 | of treatment facilities and supporting resources for the TN Drug Investigation Division. |
| 48 | The cost of this act will be around 8 million dollars, implemented into all of the different sections |
| 49 | mentioned above. |
| 50 | This act will also require around 300,000 dollars annually to maintain and upkeep the facilities and |
| 51 | the drug operation units. The money will be sourced from the TN health and social services sector, |
| 52 | whose budget is 26.63 billion dollars. |
| 53 | |
| 54 | Section 5: All laws or parts of laws in conflict with this are hereby repealed. |
| 55 | |
| 56 | Section 6: This act shall take effect January 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it. |
| 57 |