Hinchey bill on expanding collection of alcohol overdose data signed into law - The Daily Freeman
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. — A bill mandating the state Department of Health expand its data collection on alcohol overdoses has been signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Michelle Hinchey, D-Saugerties, directs the Department of Health, in collaboration with the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports and local health care providers, to collect county-level data on alcohol overdoses statewide and share those findings on an annual basis to ascertain which areas of New York are experiencing high rates of excessive alcohol poisoning and the response efforts needed, according to a press release from the senator’s office. The bill also requires the Department of Health to submit a comprehensive report to the state legislature on or before Oct. 1 each year to help direct further budgetary and legislative action.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of death in the United States and is responsible for more than 95,000 deaths each year, the release said. The signing of the bill marks a first-time effort by the Department of Health to adopt a more extensive approach to studying alcohol overdoses, including fatalities, in all New York counties by requiring data to be gathered and publicized. The data includes local-level information on excessive alcohol consumption, overdoses and overdose deaths, emergency room utilization for alcohol overdose treatment, the utilization of pre-hospital services, the geographic location of overdoses, and the age, gender, and ethnicity of patients.
“This legislation responds to the dire need for a comprehensive county-level examination of alcohol overdoses, which does not currently exist in New York state,” Hinchey said in a statement. “COVID-19 has fueled an increase in alcohol use disorder across our country, and despite the urgency to address this consequence of the pandemic, studies have shown that by and large, alcohol fatalities and overdoses are vastly overlooked and underreported.
“The new reporting mechanisms that this bill creates will deliver the information New York needs to more effectively respond to the alcohol overdose crisis and save lives in our communities, and I thank Governor Hochul for signing it into law,” Hinchey said.
source: https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2022/01/30/hinchey-bill-on-expanding-collection-of-alcohol-overdose-data-signed-into-law/
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