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- Dec 12, 2010
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N.J. steroid bill introduced to end abuse among New Jersey police officers and firefighters
Monday, 10 January 2011 14:14
Assemblymen McKeon and Conaway pushing three-bill package
Two Democratic Assemblymen Monday announced they've introduced a three-bill package of legislation designed to crackdown on illegal steroid abuse among New Jersey police officers and firefighting.
The bills would bring increased prescription monitoring, improved medical evaluations and urge the state to implement random steroid drug testing for officers and firefighters.
"State taxpayers have been wrongly paying for millions of dollars in insurance costs for prescriptions that were, in many cases, issued illegally," Assemblyman John McKeon (D-Essex) said. "Taxpayers also have been footing the bill for the side effects of this abuse. It's long past time for this outrage to finally stop. Taxpayers and public safety deserve better."
"This steroid abuse is frightening from both a public policy and public health perspective," Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D-Burlington), a physicians, said. "Taxpayers have been stung and public safety has been put at risk, as has the health of the abusers. We cannot sit idly by and let this abuse continue. These bills are a step in the proper direction."
One bill would require local police officers and firefighters to report any prescription received for anabolic steroids or human growth hormone to a designated physician. Failure to report these prescriptions would result in disciplinary action.
The governing body of each county, municipality and board of fire commissioners would be required to designate the physician to which the law enforcement officer or firefighter would report.
The physician would conduct an annual medical evaluation to assess if an officer or firefighter is able to adequately perform the individual's duties. The physician would report the findings to the appropriate governing body or board.
A second bill would require the state Department of Law and Public Safety to include human growth hormones among the drugs to be monitored in the state's Prescription Monitoring Program.
In one case, at least 248 officers and firefighters reportedly obtained prescriptions for these drugs from a single Jersey City doctor.
Human growth hormone is not a controlled dangerous substance under federal and state controlled substances laws. As a result, prescriptions for human growth hormones would not be monitored as a matter of course under the program.
The remaining bill would urge the state Attorney General to add anabolic steroids, as well as other designer drugs, to the list of drugs for which law enforcement officers are currently randomly tested to determine if they are illegally using these drugs.
Under the Attorney General's drug testing policies, law enforcement agencies may request testing for anabolic steroids and designer drugs, but this testing is rarely requested. The bill urges that random drug testing of law enforcement officers automatically include screening for anabolic steroids and certain other designer drugs.
"It's bad enough that this abuse has been costing the taxpayers of this state millions of dollars," McKeon said. "But law enforcement officers susceptible to ‘roid rage' pose a grave danger to the public safety. These measures will increase accountability and awareness and send a message that this behavior must stop."
"Steroid abuse often comes with increased aggression, so this activity by those assigned to protect our safety has been costly to both taxpayers and put people at risk," Conaway said. "It cannot continue. These bills will prevent abuse, save taxpayers money and hopefully lead to these abusers getting the held they need before it's too late."
The legislation stems from a series by The Star-Ledger of Newark which revealed widespread steroid abuse in police and fire departments.
Monday, 10 January 2011 14:14
Assemblymen McKeon and Conaway pushing three-bill package
Two Democratic Assemblymen Monday announced they've introduced a three-bill package of legislation designed to crackdown on illegal steroid abuse among New Jersey police officers and firefighting.
The bills would bring increased prescription monitoring, improved medical evaluations and urge the state to implement random steroid drug testing for officers and firefighters.
"State taxpayers have been wrongly paying for millions of dollars in insurance costs for prescriptions that were, in many cases, issued illegally," Assemblyman John McKeon (D-Essex) said. "Taxpayers also have been footing the bill for the side effects of this abuse. It's long past time for this outrage to finally stop. Taxpayers and public safety deserve better."
"This steroid abuse is frightening from both a public policy and public health perspective," Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D-Burlington), a physicians, said. "Taxpayers have been stung and public safety has been put at risk, as has the health of the abusers. We cannot sit idly by and let this abuse continue. These bills are a step in the proper direction."
One bill would require local police officers and firefighters to report any prescription received for anabolic steroids or human growth hormone to a designated physician. Failure to report these prescriptions would result in disciplinary action.
The governing body of each county, municipality and board of fire commissioners would be required to designate the physician to which the law enforcement officer or firefighter would report.
The physician would conduct an annual medical evaluation to assess if an officer or firefighter is able to adequately perform the individual's duties. The physician would report the findings to the appropriate governing body or board.
A second bill would require the state Department of Law and Public Safety to include human growth hormones among the drugs to be monitored in the state's Prescription Monitoring Program.
In one case, at least 248 officers and firefighters reportedly obtained prescriptions for these drugs from a single Jersey City doctor.
Human growth hormone is not a controlled dangerous substance under federal and state controlled substances laws. As a result, prescriptions for human growth hormones would not be monitored as a matter of course under the program.
The remaining bill would urge the state Attorney General to add anabolic steroids, as well as other designer drugs, to the list of drugs for which law enforcement officers are currently randomly tested to determine if they are illegally using these drugs.
Under the Attorney General's drug testing policies, law enforcement agencies may request testing for anabolic steroids and designer drugs, but this testing is rarely requested. The bill urges that random drug testing of law enforcement officers automatically include screening for anabolic steroids and certain other designer drugs.
"It's bad enough that this abuse has been costing the taxpayers of this state millions of dollars," McKeon said. "But law enforcement officers susceptible to ‘roid rage' pose a grave danger to the public safety. These measures will increase accountability and awareness and send a message that this behavior must stop."
"Steroid abuse often comes with increased aggression, so this activity by those assigned to protect our safety has been costly to both taxpayers and put people at risk," Conaway said. "It cannot continue. These bills will prevent abuse, save taxpayers money and hopefully lead to these abusers getting the held they need before it's too late."
The legislation stems from a series by The Star-Ledger of Newark which revealed widespread steroid abuse in police and fire departments.