There are a handful of new Pennsylvania laws going into effect at the start of this year. One new rule will expand overdose mapping as the state keeps combatting substance abuse.
SB89 requires EMS repoting on overdoses to be added to a state police database called ODIN (Overdose Information Network).
“Now we have accurate data. So if we see a hotspot of people overdosing, we want to save their lives,” said Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Republican from Franklin and surrounding counties.
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed SB89 into law last June, but the law had six months before it went into effect.
The Overdose Information Network was created in 2017. Mastriano sponsored a law in 2022 mandating all law enforcement report data to the database.
“Unfortunately, the bill didn’t include EMS reporting- which which does 80% of the reporting,” Mastriano said. “So this bill closes that gap.”
The reporting tracks where overdoses are happening, what substance is used, what treatment was given, and if the overdose was fatal.
“It’s important because it lets us identify what certain hot zones are,” said Matt Bennett, director of operations for Emergycare, an EMS company serves western Pennsylvania.
Advocates say that when communities see a hotspot, they can flood the area with resources- from educational connections to building up medical supplies and preparedness.
“As EMS providers.. you know, our motto is adapt and overcome. So we’re always anticipating walking into the unknown,” Bennett said. “But that could potentially give us just a little better idea of what type of situation we’re walking into.”
Pennsylvania overdose deaths continue to decline– with preliminary 2024 numbers of 3,341 deaths the lowest since 2015 (which had 3,121 deaths).
Lawmakers and advocates say combatting substance abuse is worth continued vigilance.
“Each number is somebody’s loved one,” Mastriano said. “It’s somebody’s son or daughter or mother or father brother or sister. It’s a funeral. An empty chair at the dinner table.”