Alabama lawmakers plan to crack down on fentanyl, drug overdoses – WKRG News 5

Mobile, Alabama (WKRGMore) — since 15-year-old girl dies in Semmes and 21-year-old male dies In Theodore’s fentanyl overdose case, lawmakers are trying to take matters into their own hands by proposing legislation that could further criminalize drug distribution.

State legislators Chris Pringle and Matt Simpson have proposed their own bill targeting the distribution of fentanyl.

Pringle’s bill focuses more broadly on drugs, as it focuses only on fatal overdoses.

“My bill would have kept it very simple. If you were selling drugs and you caused someone to die, you would be charged with manslaughter,” Pringle said.

Simpson’s bill focuses only on fentanyl itself. He primarily targets fentanyl illicit trafficking and plans to increase prison sentences based on the amount of fentanyl someone is illicitly trafficking. He only targets those distributing drugs within his community. He’s not your average everyday person who might not know what he’s got, he might have fentanyl in the mix.

According to Pringle and Simpson, Alabama doesn’t have a mandatory prison sentence for fentanyl like it does for heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana, so they hope this law can change that.

Simpson said it takes very little fentanyl to kill someone.

“I need one packet like this. It’s one gram,” Simpson said as he held up a packet of sugar. 2 milligrams is a lethal dose.”

Virginia Guy, executive director of the Drug Education Council, said overdose deaths in Alabama are a big problem. She believes the legislation is the first step in addressing the problem of fentanyl overdoses, but much still needs to be done.

“I support and applaud lawmakers who are doing everything they can to keep our communities safe,” Guy said. “I also want to address the other end of the demand for drugs. There is a possibility that

The two bills proposed by Simpson and Pringle do not work in tandem. Since these are two completely separate bills, violators may face multiple charges.

If both were signed into law, those trafficking in fentanyl or fentanyl-laced drugs would face human trafficking charges and prison sentences under Simpson’s bill, and if the drugs killed someone, they would be sentenced to death. faces manslaughter charges from Pringle’s bill.

Simpson and Pringle plan to introduce the bill before Congress in March. If both the House and Senate vote in favor of the bill, it is placed on the governor’s desk and if signed, it becomes law.

You can see both Pringle’s and Simpson’s proposed bills below: