New state laws take effect Jan. 1, 2019

JACKSON, Tenn. — New laws are coming to Tennessee on Jan. 1. One of them deals with the opioid crisis.

“Obviously opioids are a big problem in the state of Tennessee,” said Dr. Peter Gardner, medical director at Physicians Quality Care. He says the new law will pinpoint who is giving and receiving opioids.

“Any time a controlled substance, an opioid, is written in greater than a three-day quantity, a diagnostic code has to be put on that prescription,” he said.

That is so the state can track who is getting them.

“You can’t passively show up at a walk-in clinic and expect to get large quantities of a pain medication,” he explained. “You’ll have to set up with a primary care facility, you’ll have to see a known provider, and the appropriate documentation will have to be entered.”

Have you ever gone to the grocery store, and the cashier say, “I’m sorry, you can’t buy that wine. It’s Sunday”? Well, there’s a new law for that as well.

“It’s confusing, because you come to Tennessee, would like some wine to relax with on Sunday, and we can’t sell it to you,” Margaret Cauchak said customers always asked, “‘Why?’ That’s generally what they want to know, why they can’t buy a bottle of wine.”

But, as of Jan. 1, wine will be sold seven days a week.

“It’s silly, and it’s really fantastic that the law is changing because we have a great wine selection, and it’s going to be awesome that people can take advantage of that whenever they like,” Cauchak said.

There are other laws going into effect Jan. 1.

One requires doctors to offer an ultrasound before a woman receives an abortion.

Another law requires the state to create a vehicle abuse hotline and requires that decals with information regarding the hotline be posted on vehicles.

Law enforcement will be required to provide formal notices withing five days of property seizures.

The state will also create a panel to study data on suicide and present data to legislative health committees in 2020.

For a full list of the new laws, visit the Seen on 7 section of our website.