Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Nov. 5 signed legislation to better track opioid overdoses in the state.
The new law requires death certificates involving opioid overdoses to specify which drug was involved, if the information is known. The requirement aims to ensure lawmakers and health experts have the most accurate information available to address the state's opioid epidemic.
"Currently, there is no requirement that the death certificate include the specific opioid involved," state Sen. John Brooks, D-Long Island, said in a news release. "By recording this information, more data will be available to better track which opioids are causing the most deaths, and more communities in need will be better equipped to combat this crisis."
The new law takes effect immediately.