# Plain Language Summary: Opioid Overdose Treatment on Airplanes

This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration to make sure that all commercial aircraft carry medications and equipment specifically designed to treat opioid overdoses. The main medication in question is naloxone (commonly known by the brand name Narcan), which quickly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and can save someone's life in an emergency.

Right now, aircraft have emergency medical kits on board, but they don't necessarily include overdose-reversal medications. This bill would change that requirement. If someone has an opioid overdose during a flight—whether from heroin, prescription painkillers, or other opioids—flight attendants and crew members would have the tools they need to respond immediately while the plane is in the air or on the ground. This could be the difference between life and death, especially on long flights where getting to a hospital quickly isn't possible.

The practical effect is straightforward: passengers who might be at risk of overdose, as well as anyone traveling with someone struggling with opioid use, would have access to potentially life-saving treatment at 30,000 feet. Flight crews would need some basic training on how to use these medications, similar to how they're already trained on CPR and other emergency procedures. The cost to airlines would be minimal since naloxone is relatively inexpensive, and the medication has a long shelf life, so it wouldn't need frequent replacement.

This is part of a broader public health response to the opioid crisis. By making overdose reversal medication available in more places—including airplanes—more people have a chance of surviving an overdose and getting help.

To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to include medications and medical equipment for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose in aircraft emergency medical kits, and for other purposes.

Trone, David J.

 <p>This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to require that medications and medical equipment for the emergency treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose be included in an aircraft emergency medical kit; the FAA must, to the maximum extent possible, follow the guidance of the Aerospace Medical Association. </p> <p>In a 2019 guidance document to the FAA, the Aerospace Medical Association recommended including an opioid antagonist (e.g., naloxone or Narcan) in an aircraft emergency medical kit.</p>