North Carolina’s Senate has unanimously approved legislation to increase criminal penalties for drug dealers whose distribution of fentanyl and other controlled substances causes an overdose death.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. Fentanyl can be prescribed by doctors to treat pain, but illegal fentanyl is being mixed with other drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine—meaning people are often unaware that fentanyl has been added.
The proposal would create high-grade felony offenses for deaths caused by distributing the powerful synthetic opioid, and for doing so with malice.
It now heads to the House. The bill would also increase fines for trafficking heroin, fentanyl and carfentanil and amend the state’s Good Samaritan law to create limited immunity for someone in possession of less than one gram of fentanyl who calls 911 to report an overdose.
In 2021, more than 77% of overdose deaths in the state likely involved fentanyl.
