The Washington State Attorney
General’s Office, Washington State Patrol and the Washington Association of
Prosecuting Attorneys have issued a 29-page report with seven recommended goals
to reduce illegal opioid use.
The fifth goal wants to prevent
further increases in overdose deaths from fentanyl. Its recommendation is to
adopt enhanced criminal penalties for trafficking of fentanyl and fentanyl
analogues.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid
which can be deadly in small doses. In the Seattle area, fentanyl has been
found in what looks like prescription pills that have been purchased illicitly.
In other parts of the country, fentanyl has been added to low-grade batches of
heroin which is sold as more a potent drug to increase the drug pusher’s
profits. When drugs are adulterated with fentanyl the buyers do not know how
much fentanyl is in the drug or even if there is fentanyl at all.
A May 2017 study from the Washington State Department of
Health (“Fentanyl Overdose Deaths in Washington State”) concluded that there
was an increase of fentanyl-related overdose deaths in Washington State between
2015 (28) and 2016 (70).
The Attorney General/Washington State Patrol/Association of
Prosecuting Attorney’s report notes that some states have enhanced penalties
for drug dealers who have added fentanyl to heroin or other drugs. The report
recommends that trafficking fentanyl or fentanyl analogues be added to state
law as an aggravating circumstance to allow sentences above the standard range.
For the complete report, go to,
Washington State Attorney General’s Office:
The first goal is to increase
public awareness about the dangers of opioids (http://ssnoccrimewatch.blogspot.com/2017/11/opioid-crisis-washington-states-response.html).
The second goal is to prevent
addiction by curtailing overprescribing (http://ssnoccrimewatch.blogspot.com/2017/11/opioid-crisis-washington-states.html).
The third goal is to reduce the
illicit use of prescription opioids http://ssnoccrimewatch.blogspot.com/2017/11/opioid-crisis-washington-states_30.html.
The fourth goal is to disrupt and dismantle organizations responsible for trafficking narcotics http://ssnoccrimewatch.blogspot.com/2017/12/opioid-crisis-washington-states.html
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