In government buildings across the country, lawmakers are examining and enacting laws on two fronts: reducing the risk to users and increasing penalties for trafficking fentanyl or mixing it with other drugs. Meanwhile, Republican attorney generals are calling for more federal action, and some GOP governors are deploying National Guard units with a mission that includes stopping the flow of fentanyl from Mexico. “It’s a fine line to help people and try to clean up people, and at the same time to imprison and prosecute drug dealers on the streets,” said Nathan Manning, an Ohio Republican senator who backs the bill to make it clear that the materials used to control fentanyl drugs are legal. The urgency is heightened by the growing influence of drugs. Last year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the nation had reached a grim milestone. For the first time, more than 100,000 Americans had died from a drug overdose in 12 months. About two-thirds of the deaths were related to fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, which can be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, heroin or prescription opioids. The recent case of five West Point testers who overdosed on fentanyl cocaine during a spring break in Florida brought the dangers and spread of the fentanyl crisis back to the forefront. Drug chemical precursors are shipped in large quantities from China to Mexico, where much of the illicit supply of fentanyl is produced in laboratories before being smuggled into the United States. While users sometimes look specifically for fentanyl, it and other synthetics with similar properties are often mixed with other drugs or formulated into fake pills so that users often do not know they are taking it. Proponents say the test strips may help prevent accidental overdose of fentanyl-containing drugs. The films are given at needle exchanges and sometimes at concerts or other events where drugs are expected to be sold or used. Thomas Stuber, chief lawmaker at The LCADA Way, an Ohio-based drug treatment organization serving Lorain County and surrounding areas, has been pushing for tape measure legislation. It would also facilitate access to naloxone, a drug that can be used to rejuvenate people when they have an opioid overdose. “This is a well-received harm reduction approach,” he said. “We can not treat someone if he is dead.” Since last year, at least half a dozen states have passed similar laws and at least a dozen others have considered them, according to a survey by the National Conference of State Legislatures. In West Virginia, the state hardest hit by opioids per capita, lawmakers passed a bill this month to legalize test strips. It is now directed at the governor. The measure was funded by Republican lawmakers. But State Spokesman Mike Pushkin, a Democrat whose downtown area is in Charleston, also pushed for more access to fentanyl strips. He said the situation worsened last year when a state law tightened regulations on needle exchanges, closing some of them. Pushkin, who is also recovering from addiction, is happy with the passage of the test film bill, but upset by another measure passed this month that would increase penalties for fentanyl trafficking. This bill will also create a new crime of adding fentanyl to another drug. “Their initial reaction is, ‘We have to do something,’” he said. “It’s not just about doing something, it’s about doing the right thing that really works.” But for many lawmakers, ensuring that there are severe penalties for fentanyl is a priority. California lawmaker Janet Nguyen, a Republican, introduced a measure that would make sanctions on fentanyl trafficking just as harsh as those on the sale of cocaine or heroin. The Republican represents Orange County, where more than 600 fentanyl-related deaths were reported last year. “This sends a message to those who are not afraid to sell these drugs that there is a bigger, bigger penalty than you think,” said Nguyen, whose bill failed to pass a 5-2 vote by her chamber’s public safety committee. in the last week. He said after the account failed that he was thinking of trying again. He said the committee members stressed compassion for drug users, something he said he agreed with. “The less available these pills are out there, the better they are,” Nguyen said. “And that’s chasing the drug dealer.” The same day that the measure failed to go ahead, a Democratic lawmaker in California announced a different bill to increase sanctions for the fentanyl trade. The National Conference of State Legislatures has found 12 states with laws on the trafficking or possession of fentanyl drug specialists since last year. Similar measures have been introduced or considered since the beginning of 2021 in at least 19 states, the Associated Press found in an analysis of bills drafted by LegiScan. This does not include measures to add more synthetic opioids to the list of controlled substances to reflect federal legislation. these have been adopted in many states, with bipartisan support. Fentanyl has been in the spotlight in Colorado since February, when five people were found dead in an apartment on the outskirts of Denver from an overdose of fentanyl mixed with cocaine. Under state law, possession with intent to distribute less than 14 grams of fentanyl is an offense usually punishable by two to four years in prison. But fentanyl is so potent that 14 grams can represent up to 700 lethal doses, according to a calculation used by the US Drug Enforcement Administration. “It makes it impossible for the drug dealer to be held accountable for the cessation of drug trafficking,” Colorado House Speaker Alec Garnett, a Democrat, said in an interview. He and a bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled last week a bill also backed by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis that would increase penalties for traffickers with lower amounts of fentanyl and in cases where the drug leads to death. The legislation will also increase the accessibility of naloxone and test strips while also directing people with fentanyl to training and treatment programs. Maritza Perez, director of national affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance, a group that advocates harm reduction measures, is skeptical of legislation that would increase criminal penalties. “We have the highest incarceration rate in the world and we also have a record number of overdose deaths,” he said. Democratic rulers focus primarily on harm reduction methods. Among them is Illinois Gov. Jay Pritzker, who released a broad plan for overdose last month. Several Republican governors and attorney generals have responded to the rising death toll with administrative enforcement efforts and pushing for more federal intervention. Last year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Duchess called on states to help secure the border with Mexico. Along with trying to prevent people from entering the United States, stopping the flow of fentanyl was cited as a reason. Several other Republican governors have sent troops of state soldiers or National Guard units. The Texas Military Department said that from March 2021 until the beginning of this month, its troops near the border seized more than 1,200 pounds (540 kilograms) of fentanyl. By comparison, federal authorities said they seized about 11,000 pounds (4,990 kilograms) in 2021 – another fraction of what entered the country. Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice filed about 2,700 cases involving crimes related to the distribution of fentanyl and similar synthetic drugs, nearly ten times as many as in 2017. Even so, Republican state officials criticize federal efforts to country. In January, 16 Democratic attorney generals wrote a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to put more pressure on China and Mexico to stop the flow of fentanyl. These are steps that Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the National Drug Control Policy, said has already been taken. In March, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisy summoned U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland for more fentanyl trafficking and tougher penalties. “Fentanyl is killing Americans from all walks of life in unprecedented numbers,” Morrisey said in an email to the AP. to stop the wave of death. . »
