Father Slams California Lawmaker's Rejection of Bill to Punish Fentanyl Dealers

A father who lost his 16-year-old son, Daniel, to a fentanyl overdose in 2020 was disappointed by the state Assembly's Public Safety Committee's decision to "shoot down" a bill that will combat the growing fentanyl crisis, increasing the punishment for drug traffickers and enforcers on April 19.

The father, Jaime Puerta, is a California resident and president of the advocacy group Victims of Illicit Drugs. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than morphine, Epoch Times reports.

Assembly Bill (AB) 2246

In the hopes of addressing the fentanyl crisis, Democratic California Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 2246 in February.

The bill is meant to curb fentanyl poisoning by imposing harsher penalties for the possession, trafficking, and sale of the drug. The policy also focuses on those trying to sell drugs to children through social media platforms.

For now, possession of fentanyl is still considered a misdemeanor offense, like a "slap in the wrist," Puerta said. The bill proposed that possession of two or more grams of fentanyl is considered a felony. One gram of fentanyl can kill 500 people, the Drug Enforcement Agency said.

The bill also seeks special penalties for selling fentanyl in areas where young people frequent, like schools and playgrounds. The measure would have placed fentanyl at the same level as heroin and cocaine, Puerta said.

It also introduces a penalty for illegally selling fentanyl online. Distribution of fentanyl that resulted in the user's death would face a 20-year life penalty.

According to Petrie-Norris, the legislation targets drug traffickers in California by increasing penalties against those selling fentanyl in counterfeit prescriptions and exploiting social media to distribute fentanyl to children and teens. She added that the proposed bill aims to ensure those profiting from the fentanyl crisis and poisoning the kids must have a punishment that fits the crime, the Orange County Register reported.

Petrie-Norris, also a mom, said that drug dealers no longer stand on dark corners to sell. Instead, they now use platforms like Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, which worries her as a mom.

Dangers of fentanyl in California

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said that fentanyl was flooding the community and described that aside from COVID-19, fentanyl overdose is the worst epidemic to hit the country.

He added that his office seized more than 205 pounds of fentanyl and more than 140,000 clandestine-produced illicit pills that contained fentanyl in January and February of 2022 alone, as per Long News Journal.

In 2020, California recorded more than 5,500 opioid overdoses, with 3,900 deaths linked to a fentanyl overdose. Petrie-Norris said that around ten people die from fentanyl use in California.

Puerta added that while kids continue to die daily due to fentanyl overdose, the federal and state governments are not doing anything about it.

The bereaved father, parents, and residents feel that the California lawmakers favor the interest of nefarious actors like the drug dealers who are preying on their children on social media.