(Watch) Sen. Kissel, Lawmakers Tackle Fentanyl Crisis

January 29, 2022

(Watch)  Sen. Kissel, Lawmakers Tackle Fentanyl Crisis

 

NBC Connecticut

When lawmakers return to the state capitol on Feb. 9, they will debate strategies to reduce the rise in fentanyl-related overdoses and deaths – which recently included a 13-year-old in Hartford.

Republican lawmakers said fentanyl’s potency should be taken into account.

“If you had a gram of fentanyl and it’s equivalent to 50 bags of heroin that those penalties should be proportionate,” Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, said.

Kissel said current laws don’t seem to be a deterrent

“We believe in second chances. This isn’t about the victims. This isn’t about users. This is about sellers. This is about the supply chain,” Kissel said.

The state’s chief medical examiner reported that 84% of the 1,374 drug overdose deaths in 2020 were caused by fentanyl.

 

https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/lawmakers-to-tackle-fentanyl-crisis/2702867/