Trone Applauds House Passage of Bill to Include Naloxone in Airplane Emergency Medical Kits
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2024
Trone Applauds House Passage of Bill to Include Naloxone in Airplane Emergency Medical Kits
Rep. Trone joins his Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force in hosting a Naloxone training for congressional staff in September, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Congressman David Trone (D-MD) applauds the House passage of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024, which included language from Rep. Trone’s bill to direct the FAA to update aircraft emergency medical kits to include overdose reversal medication. The FAA Reauthorization Act includes language that expresses the need for medical experts to examine and update the list of mandated contents for emergency medical kits, to include opioid reversal medication, and requires a rulemaking within two years for medical kits, first aid, and training for crewmembers. It now heads to President Biden’s desk to become law.
Overdose reversal medications like Naloxone, also referred to by the brand name “Narcan,” are used to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone can be administered as a nasal spray or can be injected into a person experiencing an overdose. It has no effect on someone who doesn’t have opioids in their system, which is why it should always be given if an opioid overdose is suspected. The bill’s passage comes nearly one year after an airline passenger suffered an overdose on a flight, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in order to save him.
“Overdoses can happen anywhere, and airlines need to be equipped to handle them. This bill is about being prepared to save lives whenever and wherever necessary,” said Congressman David Trone, co-founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force. “Last year, 112,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses. By passing this bill today, we are one step closer to ensuring Naloxone is easily accessible to prevent tragedies and protect the American people.”
Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. Trone serves on the Appropriations, Budget, and Joint Economic Committees. In Congress, Trone is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders.
###
