State lawmakers are pushing forward a bill that would increase fines and prison time for people caught with fentanyl. The measure would also make the act of selling at least 10 grams of the potent opioid a first-degree felony, a crime that could land an offender in prison for up to 20 years.
“I can’t fathom that there’s any better solution than increasing the penalties here,” said Sen. Michael Testa (R-Cumberland).
The bill (S-3325) was passed by the Senate Budget Committee Monday after a long and heated debate. Harm-reduction advocates said that the bill is incredibly strict and would put more users in prison. They urged lawmakers to focus their efforts on other strategies to combat New Jersey’s opioid crisis.
More than 3,000 people died of drug overdoses in New Jersey in 2020, according to the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner.
Activists also called the bill a continuation of war-on-drugs policies and said it would lead people who are dealing with addiction to be more afraid to ask for help.
