Amedore Bill to Crack Down on Fentanyl Use Passes Senate

The New York State Senate today passed legislation (S.933), co-sponsored by Senator George Amedore, to add new derivatives of fentanyl to the controlled substance list and to increase penalties for the sale of an opiate containing fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a strong pain medication that has a similar effect as morphine and heroin, but it can be up to 100 times more powerful. The use of fentanyl to cut heroin is on the rise, and is related to countless overdose deaths through the state and nation.

“New York State has made great progress in battling the heroin epidemic by increasing prevention, removing insurance barriers, and ensuring more accessible treatment and recovery services throughout the state,” said Senator George Amedore, co-Chair of the Senate’s Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction. “However, these efforts must be paired with measures to give law enforcement the tools they need to keep these deadly drugs out of our communities.”

The legislation passed today adds three fentanyl derivatives to the controlled substance list, lining New York’s schedule up with the federal schedule. It also increases penalties for selling opiates that contain fentanyl, creating an A-II felony for the sale of more than ¼ ounce of fentanyl, and an A-I felony for the sale of one ounce or more.

The Senate also passed as series of related measures, including bills that would:

• Designate Xylazine as a schedule III depressant controlled substance;
• Classify U-47700 (Pink) as a schedule I opiate;
• Designate alpha-PVP, its salts and optical isomers as a schedule I stimulate controlled substance;
• Classify synthetic cannabinoids (often known as K2, Spike 99, Yucatan Fire, and other names) as a Schedule I controlled substance.
   

Another bill passed today (S.2639) would require hospital and emergency room physicians to notify a patient’s prescriber when that patient is being treated for a controlled substance overdose.

"We must take a four-pronged approach to addressing the addiction issues that continue to devastate our communities. Prevention, treatment and recovery are critically important, but they must go hand in hand with enforcement measures that properly punish the dealers who are profiting off these deadly drugs. The Senate has passed these measures numerous times – it’s time for the Assembly to get serious and join us to help get these drugs off of our streets,” said Senator Amedore.

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