FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMEDIA CONTACT:
Austin Parrish
651-297-8407
Austin.Parrish@house.mn.gov Rep. Schutz and Rep. Kresha Introduce Bill to Fight Fentanyl Epidemic St. Paul, Minnesota — Representatives Isaac Schultz (R – Elmdale Township) and Ron Kresha (R – Little Falls) have joined in the fight against the devastating rise in fentanyl deaths that have been damaging Minnesota communities. HF 2453 adds illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) to the current statute on the possession and sale of controlled substances. This means that the criminals who are bringing this dangerous substance in and distributing it will be held equally accountable as they would be for other dangerous drugs. These statutes include penalties of a gross misdemeanor which carries up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. “I am proud to author this legislation,” said Rep. Schultz on HF 2453. “We need to put every tool we can in place to keep these drugs out of our communities and to aid local law enforcement.” From 2019 to 2021, according to the National Institutes of Health, deaths from synthetic opioids is on the rise and recent local events are prompting action. “We’ve seen too many families torn apart by this drug and the saddening spike in overdose deaths it is causing.” Said Rep. Kresha on the worsening opioid crisis. In 2021 the CDC recorded more than 105,000 drug overdoses in America with the majority of those being caused by Fentanyl. ### |