EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill enacts Nick's Law (Opioid Abuse Awareness), 2017, which requires the Government of Ontario to allocate at least 10 per cent of the Bulk Media Buy Program toward marketing campaigns that aim to raise awareness regarding the risk of prescription opioid abuse and regarding the risks associated with fentanyl abuse.  For every fiscal year, the Minister of Finance must report on the campaigns and the percentage of the Bulk Media Buy Program that was allocated toward them.

Bill 161 2017

An Act to raise awareness of opioid abuse

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Opioid abuse awareness campaigns

1 (1)  The Government of Ontario shall ensure that at least 10 per cent of the amount appropriated by the Legislature for the purposes of the Bulk Media Buy Program for a fiscal year is allocated toward marketing campaigns aimed at raising awareness regarding the risk of abuse of prescription opioids if such drugs are not taken as prescribed and regarding the risks associated with fentanyl abuse.

Same

(2)  The campaigns under subsection (1) shall do the following:

    1.  Address,

            i.  the dangers of opioid abuse,

           ii.  the prevention of opioid abuse, including through safe disposal of prescription medications and other safety precautions, and

          iii.  the detection of early warning signs of addiction.

    2.  Bring greater public awareness to,

            i.  the dangerous effects of fentanyl abuse and the symptoms of an overdose,

           ii.  the dangers associated with drugs that are contaminated with fentanyl, and

          iii.  the fentanyl Patch for Patch (P4P) return policy established under the Safeguarding our Communities Act (Patch for Patch Return Policy), 2015.

    3.  Inform the public about where to seek help.

Report

(3)  Within 30 days after the end of a fiscal year, the Minister of Finance shall prepare a report that,

  (a)  describes the campaigns that were undertaken in respect of that fiscal year; and

  (b)  sets out the percentage of the amount appropriated for the purposes of the Bulk Media Buy Program for the fiscal year that was allocated toward those campaigns.

Tabling of report

(4)  The Minister shall submit each report to the Lieutenant Governor in Council and shall lay the report before the Assembly at the earliest reasonable opportunity.

Report to be publicly accessible

(5)  The Minister shall ensure that each report is available to the public as soon as possible on a website of the Government of Ontario after the report is laid before the Assembly.

Application

(6)  The requirements set out in this section apply commencing with the fiscal year that begins on April 1, 2018.

Definition

(7)  In this section,

"Bulk Media Buy Program" means the program referred to in vote 3411 of the estimates and supplementary estimates submitted to the Legislature.

Commencement

2 This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

3 The short title of this Act is Nick's Law (Opioid Abuse Awareness), 2017.