RHB/6/21
Sponsored by Ross Henley, Evan Pinson of Evangelical Christian School
This legislation was filed in the Health category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section 1: Terms in this act will be defined as follows: |
| 4 | Fentanyl: a powerful synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more |
| 5 | potent than morphine that is FDA-approved to treat severe or complex pain conditions. It is |
| 6 | prescribed in the form of transdermal patches or lozenges and has contributed to a dramatic rise |
| 7 | in drug overdoses in the United States. |
| 8 | Carfentanil: an analogue of the most potent opioid analgesic fentanyl. It is 100 times more potent |
| 9 | than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine. It was originally created in 1974 for |
| 10 | use in veterinary medicine to anesthetize large animals such as elephants and rhinoceroses. |
| 11 | Carfentanil has been used as a radiotracer for positron emission tomography imaging of the μ- |
| 12 | opioid receptor in the brain of humans. |
| 13 | Schedule II Drug: substances or chemicals defined as drugs with a high potential for abuse, with |
| 14 | use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence. Some examples include |
| 15 | hydromorphone, methadone, oxycodone, carfentanil, and fentanyl. |
| 16 | Opioid Addiction: a long-lasting chronic disease that causes major health, social, and economic |
| 17 | problems characterized by a powerful, compulsive urge to use opioid drugs, even when they are |
| 18 | no longer required medically. |
| 19 | Third Step Pain: the last step on the Analgesic Ladder developed by the World Health Organization |
| 20 | classified as severe and persistent pain that requires the prescription of potent opioids. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | Section 2: This act shall separate Schedule II Drugs into A and B categories. It shall reclassify the |
| 23 | opioids fentanyl and carfentanil as Schedule II A Drugs. Schedule II A Drugs shall only be |
| 24 | prescribed to patients classified with Third Step Pain and should only be used after Schedule II B |
| 25 | Drugs are proven insufficient. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Section 3: Exceptions to this bill include emergency situations in which fentanyl and carfentanil |
| 28 | may be used to save the patient’s life, or if the patient has a severe allergy to pertinent Schedule |
| 29 | II B Drugs. |
| 30 | |
| 31 | Section 4: All laws or parts of laws in conflict with this are hereby repealed. |
| 32 | |
| 33 | Section 5: This act shall take effect June 1st, 2024. |
| 34 |