Pennsylvania State Sens. Christine Tartaglione (D–Philadelphia) and Nikil Saval (D–Philadelphia) introduced a bill on Oct. 15 that would require all Pennsylvania high schools to be equipped with naloxone, an opioid antagonist.
The bill was introduced in partnership with students in Penn Government and Politics Association’s Forum for Legislative Action. GPA Forum members brought the idea to the elected officials earlier this year and have been ongoing contributors in the legislation’s research and writing process.
“The students had an understanding of not only the policy and its implications but also how a bill drafted and how buy-in can be accomplished,” Saval said to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “They approached the legislature better than many people, including skilled, highly trained lobbyists.”
The Forum is the legislative advocacy branch of the GPA, where members work together to research and propose legislation on a social issue. In the spring, students travel to Washington and Harrisburg to pitch their ideas for federal and state legislation.
Engineering senior and Forum president Neha Krishna told the DP that she credits policy leads College sophomores Leo Ding and Madeleine Berg and College junior Elizabeth Jin for their role in advocating for the bill.
Ding noted difficulties in convincing legislators about the prevalence of teenage opioid incidences during the process of writing the bill.
“A lot of times, if someone has an overdose, it’s kept a private matter for the sake of a student’s privacy,” Ding said. “The issue is that if it’s not a big news story, sometimes senators or whoever you’re talking to don’t really care.”
Despite hesitancy from some elected officials, the Forum was able to collaborate with Saval and Tartaglione on the bill.
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“I’m recovering, 22 years, so this issue is close to my heart,” Tartaglione said. “Plus, I represent Kensington and Allegheny in Philadelphia, which are ground-zero for the opioid epidemic.”
Saval, who also represents parts of Kensington, highlighted how the bill would not only require schools to be equipped with naloxone, but also offer opt-in training programs where educators can learn how to administer naloxone.
“Overdose education paired with naloxone distribution has been a proven public health strategy in reducing opioid overdose deaths,” Saval said. “I want to be clear: Overdose is a top cause of death among children and adolescents, so equipping high schools is critical.”
For Ding, the Forum provides a platform where Penn students can have a say in the issues that affect them.
“I think that if anything in your life affects you, you should be responsible for it,” Ding said. “I also think we all have a responsibility to our own community to make it better. If we notice certain issues, we should point [them] out and advocate for change.”
The bill is currently waiting for referral to a standing committee, where it has to be considered and approved before moving to the Senate floor for a vote.
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Staff reporter Ishani Modi covers state and local politics and can be reached at modi@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies biochemistry.
