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Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed into law a bill that would require hospitals to test patients for fentanyl in cases of suspect overdoses or poisoning.
Known as Gage's Law, it was created following the death of Gage Austin Taylor after he unknowingly consumed a substance that was laced with fentanyl.
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The law will go into effect on July 1.
The bill was sponsored by State Senator Tina Polsky (D) of Boca Raton and State Representative Rita Harris (D) of Orlando.
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"Fentanyl is a plague on our communities, but with Gage’s Law, we have taken the next step in the fight against it,” Polsky wrote in a statement. “I am grateful to see this bill signed into law today, knowing that it will help so many families.
The Centers for Disease Control said Florida has the second-most drug-related deaths in the U.S.
