‘Review teams’ proposed to scrutinize ODs, suicides
HARRISBURG — Two types of tragic deaths — overdoses and suicides — would be investigated by government-sanctioned “review teams” under a bill approved by a state House committee on Tuesday.
In a separate action, the full House approved a bill intended to help the state’s craft brewers in competition with out-of-staters.
The review teams bill was sponsored by Allentown Democratic Rep. Mike Schlossberg, who said an investigation would only occur in situations where a family member gave permission. That family member, Schlossberg said, would likely be the executor or administrator of the deceased’s estate.
“It would review, with consent, the circumstances that led to somebody’s death,” Schlossberg said.
The bill passed the Republican-controlled House Human Services Committee by unanimous vote. It will now be considered by the full House.
Pennsylvania has a precedent for creating such teams.
In 2012, the Legislature approved creation of the Methadone Death and Incident Review Team. At the time, some state leaders said methadone — a medication with a long history of helpful use in substance abuse treatment — was being abused and contributing to drug deaths.
But, as the opioid crisis metastasized into a full-blown disaster in the years that followed, methadone never emerged as a major contributor to the problem.
The opioid-driven overdose crisis now appears out of control across the nation. Still-incomplete U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showed 5,462 overdose deaths in Pennsylvania in the 12 months ending in March, the fourth-highest total in the nation.
The increase in suicides nationwide has been a concern for years. Schlossberg
was deeply involved in the creation of a Pennsylvania suicide prevention plan, announced just over a year ago.
CDC data shows there were 47,500 suicide deaths nationwide in 2019, making it the 10th-leading cause of death.
Team concepts
The suicide or overdose death review teams, as envisioned by Schlossberg’s bill, would be “multi-disciplinary and culturally diverse.”
Community members who might be on a team include coroners or medical examiners, pathologists, psychologists, physicians, local behavioral health directors, or educators with experience in suicide prevention efforts, among others.
The teams would meet regularly and choose a member as chairperson.
According to the bill, work would include identifying factors that contributed to the death and to “determine whether similar fatalities may be prevented in the future.”
The bill also calls for interview protocols to be developed by teams that choose to contact family members or caregivers. The protocols, according to the bill, would address collection and use of data, providing notice to the family that the interview is voluntary, and making sure the information is kept confidential.
Beer bill approved
In a separate action, the House in a split vote gave final approval to a bill supporters said would help the state’s craft beer industry by preventing out-ofstate breweries from taking advantage of benefits intended for Pennsylvania-based ones.
The vote in the House was 137-61, with 16 Republicans and 45 Democrats voting “no.”
By law, Pennsylvania-based brewers can sell their products directly to consumers, bypassing the long-established “three-tier” system. That system sends most beer from other sources through wholesalers and then retailers.
House Liquor Control Committee
Chairman Rep. Carl Metzgar of Somerset County had said some out-of-state brewers have set up small operations in Pennsylvania to take advantage of the law.
During the brief debate Tuesday, bill sponsor Rep. Jesse Topper of Bedford County said it would ensure the state would not be hit with “a lawsuit from big beer” on different types of treatment for out-of-state brewers.
But Democratic Rep. Danielle Otten of Chester County said the bill would actually harm small- and mid-sized Pennsylvania brewers that had parts of their operations in other states.
The number of craft brewers in the state has nearly quadrupled since 2011, she said, and the small- and medium-sized companies rely on shipping product between locations to grow. Otten said the bill “unfairly and unreasonably” targeted those companies.
The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.