Author Spotlight
Greyson Imm
In response to community concerns regarding the fentanyl crisis, Missouri Representative Bill Allen pre-filed a bill on Dec. 1 to increase sentencing for delivery and distribution of fentanyl.
Though Allen says the legislative process is difficult to predict, he expects the bill to reach committee within the next two months, be voted on by the Missouri House in March and pass the Missouri Senate between April and May.
Missouri House Bill 1544 increases the offense of delivering a controlled substance resulting in great bodily harm or death. Allen says that the bill could potentially add on 10 to 15 years in prison for those who are sentenced for distributing illicit fentanyl, a sentence that could typically be five to 10 years.
“It’s not a be-all to end-all because I don’t believe any piece of legislation could do that,” Allen said. “But this bill specifically gives prosecutors that additional tool to use.”
Fentanyl has been a pressing issue in the U.S. for years now — especially for teens, according to the CDC. Fentanyl-related overdose deaths among 10-to-19 year olds increased 182% from 2019 to 2021. Only recently has the government begun to take action due to a rapid increase in deaths, according to fentanyl awareness advocate Andrea Thomas. Thomas is the founder of Facing Fentanyl and Voices for Change organizations, which rally for fentanyl awareness in communities and change at the government level.
“We have grandparents raising infants because one or more of their parents have died from fentanyl poisoning, we have kids dying in high schools, we even have infants dying,” Thomas said. “We’re seeing teen deaths rise solely due to fentanyl so there [is great] urgency to address this. What needs to happen is immediate action.”
Thomas first got involved with fentanyl-related advocacy after her daughter died in 2018 from taking half of a counterfeit pill believed to be prescribed to her for stomach pain.
That year, fentanyl killed 31,335 U.S. citizens, according to the National Safety Council. That number jumped to 73,654 fentanyl overdose deaths in 2022 and continues to climb. So far, the government has only focused on reactionary efforts to confiscate materials at the southern border and wider distribution of fentanyl test strips, according to Forbes. However, these actions aren’t enough, according to Thomas, as illicit fentanyl is also entering the U.S. through other routes. Test strips are confusing to use and not always effective.
Any of the government action taken seems to be ineffective in curtailing fentanyl deaths to frustrated and grieving parents like Thomas, who says they are the ones forced to fight for government change as the problem worsens.
“This is human life we’re talking about, not just numbers, but brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and our children,” Thomas said. “We have to take this on with everything that we have and we haven’t been doing that. So we’ve got to rally communities for solutions. I wish it was something our federal government took on in the beginning.”
Local parent Randy Davis has a similar story, and a similar view on the issue. His son, a Mill Valley student, died from fentanyl poisoning after taking a counterfeit Percocet. Since then, he and his wife started the Keeping Clean for Coop organization visiting schools around the area including East to speak about the dangers of fentanyl and encourage fentanyl safety.
“There needs to be stronger laws, and that’s what [local legislators] are trying to work on,” Davis said. “For the dealers that are willing to put this out there knowing the risk, there needs to be accountability for selling fake pills that are killing people.”
In addition to legislation, Allen, Davis and Thomas believe that education and public advocacy at the community level as a preventative measure against fentanyl deaths. Educational advocacy programs that reach youth like the ones Davis and Thomas lead are important in prevention. They also advocate for access to the overdose-resetting medication naloxone — or Narcan.
Legislation is important, Thomas asserts, but elements of harm reduction and education must also be implemented to prevent the crisis from worsening.
“We’ve got to bring all of these things to the table,” Thomas said. “So whether it’s suboxone or methadone or prevention, education or traditional harm reduction are all the things that need to be on the table.”
Though Allen says that he’s been met with slight pushback from those who have concerns that the bill will put more people in jail without solving the fentanyl problem. However, he asserts that this bill is just meant to serve a small part in supporting fentanyl prosecution.
“We know that prosecution alone isn’t going to stop this,” Allen said. “We learned that back in the 80s with the war on drugs, it just doesn’t work. But the prosecutors came to me with this bill, they thought it was important to be able to use that to charge when it’s appropriate.”
Because they all agree that not just legislation can eliminate this problem, Thomas encourages people to stay safe when taking any un-prescribed medication.
“You don’t get a second chance with fentanyl poisoning,” Thomas said. “That’s what I want young people to know. There’s no one out there that’s watching out for your safety. There’s no safe dose of this.”
These children and adults for that matter need to be encouraged to safely test what they’re getting in micro amounts. With that they can instantly know whether the oxycodone they just bought on the street is actually that or fentanyl. When taking such a very small portion of a pill that would normally be taken whole will give the instant knowledge to fentanyl presence in that pill. I hope this idea can be put across the board in order to help stop these accidental overdoses from street obtained pain pills. God bless and my condolences to the ones dealing with this. I lost a brother in 2013 when fentanyl was still very new to the drug scene…