Bill Text: NJ A356 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy to reduce incidence of substance use disorder and tobacco use.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health Committee [A356 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A356-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman STERLEY S. STANLEY
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy to reduce incidence of substance use disorder and tobacco use.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning substance use disorder and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established the Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy within the Department of Health.
b. The Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy shall create a State alcohol, drug, and tobacco use control policy in coordination with the advisory board established pursuant to subsection d. of this section. This policy shall include programs designed to reduce the incidence of substance use disorder and tobacco use.
c. The Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy shall have the duty, power, and responsibility to:
(1) Develop a strategic plan to reduce the incidence of substance use disorder and tobacco use;
(2) Monitor, coordinate, and oversee the collection of data related to youth access to alcohol, drugs, and tobacco;
(3) Identify existing prevention programs in municipalities that implement evidence-based programs for substance use disorder and tobacco use education and prevention;
(4) Review existing research on substance use disorder and tobacco use prevention, cessation, treatment, and recovery programs;
(5) Establish a school-based initiative that connects schools with local agencies and health departments to implement school-based alcohol, drug, and tobacco education programs;
(6) Coordinate media campaigns designed to demonstrate the negative impact of alcohol, drug, and tobacco use;
(7) Develop recommendations to improve communication between health care providers and patients about the risks and benefits of prescription opioids for acute pain;
(8) Develop recommendations to improve the safety and effectiveness of acute pain treatment;
(9) Develop and implement a program that requires the collection of data on the use of opioid overdose antidotes;
(10) Consistent with federal and State privacy laws, develop and implement a program to collect data on drug overdoses;
(11) Publish on the Internet website of the Department of Health information related to evidence-based, substance use disorder and tobacco use prevention, cessation, treatment, and recovery programs; and
(12) Apply for grants to fund programs established pursuant to this section.
d. The Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy shall establish an advisory board to provide administrative support to assist the office in the implementation of the provisions of this act. The advisory board may include the following members or their designees: (1) the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality; (2) a member of the governing body of the municipality; (3) a representative of a health care facility; (4) a representative of a public school; and (5) three public members.
e. The Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy is authorized to call upon any department, office, division, agency, or independent authority of State government to provide such information, resources, or other assistance as the executive director of the office deems necessary to discharge the duties and functions of the office and to fulfill the responsibilities of the office under this act. Each department, office, division, agency, or independent authority of this State shall cooperate with the Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy and furnish the office with the assistance necessary to accomplish the purposes of this act.
f. The Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy shall annually report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1).
2. a. The Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy shall be administered by an executive director, who shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.
b. The executive director shall be a person qualified by education, training, and experience to perform the duties of the office.
c. The executive director shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor during the Governor's term of office and until the appointment and qualification of the executive director's successor.
d. The executive director shall have the power to employ staff within the limits of funds appropriated or made available for that purpose, and shall have broad authority to coordinate communication between, and request and receive information from, any department, division, or agency of the State in furtherance of the mission of the office.
e. The executive director shall devote full time to the duties and responsibilities of the office, and shall receive a salary as shall be provided by law.
3. The Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy may adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy (office) within the Department of Health to reduce the incidence of substance use disorder and tobacco use.
Under the bill, the office is to create a State alcohol, drug, and tobacco use control policy. The office is to: 1) develop a strategic plan to reduce the incidence of substance use disorder and tobacco use; 2) monitor, coordinate, and oversee the collection of data related to youth access to alcohol, drugs, and tobacco; 3) identify existing prevention programs in municipalities that implement evidence-based programs for substance use disorder and tobacco use education and prevention; 4) review existing research on substance use disorder and tobacco use prevention, cessation, treatment, and recovery programs; 5) establish a school-based initiative that connects schools with local agencies and health departments to implement school-based alcohol, drug, and tobacco education programs; 6) coordinate media campaigns designed to demonstrate the negative impact of alcohol, drug, and tobacco use; 7) develop recommendations to improve communication between health care providers and patients about the risks and benefits of prescription opioids for acute pain; 8) develop recommendations to improve the safety and effectiveness of acute pain treatment; 9) develop and implement a program that requires the collection of data on the use of opioid overdose antidotes; 10) consistent with federal and State privacy laws, develop and implement a program to collect data on drug overdoses; and 11) publish on the Internet website of the Department of Health information related to evidence-based, substance use disorder and tobacco use prevention, cessation, treatment, and recovery programs; and (12) apply for grants to fund programs established pursuant to this bill.
The bill provides that the office is to establish an advisory board to provide administrative support to assist the office in the implementation of the provisions of this bill. The advisory board may include the following members or their designees: (1) the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality; (2) a member of the governing body of the municipality; (3) a representative of a health care facility; (4) a representative of a public school; and (5) three public members.
