Legislation to reinstate the Drug Overdose Fatality Review Team has been signed into law this week by Governor Hobbs.
The Drug Overdose Fatality Review Team was established in 2016 within the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) to develop a drug overdose fatalities data collection system. By law, the Review Team’s authorization expired on January 1, 2023. Representative Nguyen’s HB 2194 is an emergency measure that immediately reinstates the Review Team and its powers and duties until 2029.
“Prevention works and the data provided by the Review Team to help with that is essential to combating dangerous narcotics and overdoses,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Quang Nguyen. “Entities such as MATForce in Yavapai County, prosecutors, and the State Legislature depend on information from the Review Team to identify and implement recommendations to prevent overdoses. And it is working. It’s been reported that overdose deaths in Yavapai County last year decreased, despite increasing numbers at the statewide level. That’s a testament to the prevention and education efforts that have been aided by the valuable information provided through the Review Team.”
MATForce is the main operator of the Review Team in Yavapai County. It relies on the data and information collected by the Review Team to help their efforts to educate and eliminate substance abuse within communities.