SAN DIEGO–Senate Bill 1109, which was drafted by the San Diego district attorney’s office to help address the opioid epidemic in San Diego county and across the state of California, has passed unanimously out of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

District Attorney Summer Stephan is working in partnership with State Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) who introduced the proposed legislation earlier this year. The bill emphasizes education to reduce opioid overdoses and addiction.

“I’m honored to partner with Senator Bates on urgently passing critical laws that address the increase in opioids related overdose deaths in our community,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said. “This legislation brings common sense solutions that protect consumers by telling them the truth about the real risk of addiction and overdose from prescription opiates. It also focuses on the duty of medical professionals and athletic school based programs on educating and informing minors and their parents about the risks of opiate based pain medications.”

SB 1109 now moves on to the Senate floor for a vote.

Specifically, SB 1109 would:

  • Require continuing medical education of opioid prescribers to include the risks associated with opioid use;
  • Require a warning label on opioid prescription bottles that addresses the risk of addiction   and overdose;
  • Require physicians who prescribe opioids to a minor to discuss risks with the minor’s parent or guardian before issuing the first prescription; and
  • Require youth sports organizations and schools that have athletic programs to annually give a document highlighting the risks of opioid use to each student-athlete and their parent/guardian, and to have the student-athlete and their parent/guardian sign the document.

According to the California Department of Public Health, there were 1,925 opioid-linked overdose deaths in the state in 2016.

Young people are among the biggest abusers of opioids. According to the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, prescription drugs are second only to marijuana in teen drug abuse. One in five teens has abused a prescription pain medication.