Alcohol and substance abuse is a massive issue in New Jersey, and one of its outcomes is the opioid epidemic that emerged in the state during the last decade. In 2021, Governor Phil Murphy passed several bills based on the provision of harm reduction services, hypodermic syringe distribution, and local drug overdose fatality review teams established to respond to the challenge (State of New Jersey’s Department of Health, 2022). The latter is a relatively new policy for New Jersey, and local communities are discussing its impact on population health and healthcare services practice. Bill A798/S52 is deployed according to the example of other states where opioid use is regulated legislatively, and people with sufficient knowledge and experience in working with addiction treatment are involved (Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee 2021). This paper aims to critically analyze the policy about local drug overdose fatality review teams’ establishment and discuss how it aligns with the concepts of advocacy, population health, and the ANA ethical statements.
The Bill A798/S52
Legislative regulation is essential to fight against the opioid epidemic because it provides sufficient power to make practice changes, track and eliminate violations, and predict improvements. Bill A798/S52 was officially released on January 18, 2022, to establish local drug overdose fatality review teams and provide healthcare and social support for people with alcohol and drug addictions (State of New Jersey’s Department of Health, 2022). The primary sponsors were Verrelli, Vainieri Huttle, Armato/Singer, and Greenstein; they also participated in passing other opioid epidemic-related regulations. The policy identifies the responsible groups’ activities, such as developing methods to decrease the number of overdoses statewide, researching the causes of abuse to recommend further legislative updates, and supporting the affected (Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee 2021). Consequently, the main aim the drug overdose fatality review teams will pursue is to become the trusted medium between the people in need and the government.
Bill A798/S52 is beneficial for the population’s health even though it does not include any direct intervention or medical services providence. As the drug overdose fatality review teams will be formed in multiple areas, they will improve the government’s data collection and timely notice of serious deviations even in the smallest towns (Artiga & Hinton, 2018). Furthermore, New Jersey’s Commissioner of Health responsible for the groups’ operations will have to coordinate the abuse situation with the local healthcare organizations and provide additional sources when necessary. The concept of advocacy enabled support for the vulnerable on the legislative level and allow them to explain the causes of New Jersey’s opioid epidemic (Artiga & Hinton, 2018). Indeed, the teams will observe and communicate with the affected people, and additional options to help them prevent addictions might occur, leading to a decrease in drug abuse prevalence.
Nursing practitioners involved in helping addicts or practicing in healthcare organizations with relevant departments would benefit the drug overdose fatality review teams, and it is ethically correct to join them. The bill does not identify any specific professional requirements for the potential participants; they only must have experience in social or healthcare work with vulnerable populations (Haas et al., 2019). Working with the team addresses the principle of altruism and devotion to professional obligations and enables the practitioner to advocate for equity in care for diverse populations (American Nurses Association, n. d.). The bill identifies the key harm reduction strategies, and advocacy for their implementation benefits other public health policies improvement.
The opioid epidemic is one of the severest health challenges for New Jersey and developing workable legislation to address it is urgent for the county’s population. Bill A798/S52 submits the demand for the specific local drug overdose fatality review teams and identifies their rights and obligations. The establishment of novel regulations is beneficial for New Jersey’s healthcare as it will result in a more precise view of vulnerable people’s issues, attention, and help initiatives from communities and organizations.