Rep. Joe Lovvorn, R-Auburn, has introduced House Bill 280 to require Alabama’s public schools to provide research-based instruction on fentanyl prevention and drug poisoning awareness to students in grades six through 12.
Named for an Auburn teen who died in 2021, the Price Hornsby Act aims to inform teens about the dangers of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, Lovvorn said.
“Education is one of the most powerful tools we have in preventing drug addiction and its devastating effects,” Lovvorn said in a written statement. “Through the Price Hornsby Act, we honor the memory of those we’ve lost by committing to protect the lives of our future generations.”
Hornsby, 17, died March 26, 2021, after taking a pill laced with fentanyl.
“The loss of Price Hornsby has been a devastating blow to our community, and it underscores the urgent need for comprehensive drug education and prevention strategies,” Lovvorn said.
The legislation has passed the Ways and Means Education Committee and is expected to go to the full House on Tuesday, Lovvorn told Alabama Daily News. He said Hornsby’s parents will be in attendance.
“They are very excited about the opportunity of his legacy being able to possibly save the lives of others,” Lovvorn said.
More than 75% of drug overdose deaths in 2021 involved an opioid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overdoses involving opioids killed more than 80,000 people in 2021, and nearly 88% of those deaths involved synthetic opioids.
If passed, the Price Hornsby Act will take effect in the 2024-2025 school year. Each local education agency will annually provide research-based information related to fentanyl prevention and drug poisoning awareness to students in a manner comparable to the instruction provided for other drug and alcohol education and prevention programs.
The bill requires the instruction be age-appropriate to address the legal, social and health consequences of drug and alcohol use. Furthermore, it provides effective techniques for resisting peer pressure for students in all grades.