Two Republican state representatives in Connecticut have unilaterally introduced separate legislation designed to increase punitive legal actions against illicit opioid dealers, according to NBC Connecticut.
The bill backed by Rep. Kurt Vail of Stafford aims to charge dealers with homicide when a user purchases drugs from said dealers and subsequently suffers a fatal overdose. Legislation presented by Rep. Devin Carney of Old Saybrook seeks to "hold drug dealers criminally liable for the sale of drugs that result in the death of a person who purchased the drugs from the dealer."
The new legislation was spurred by the recent influx of overdose deaths related to heroin cut with deadly synthetic opioids like fentanyl across the nation.
Tammy de la Cruz, co-founder of Community Speaks Out, a group that helps families facing addiction, expressed worry regarding the proposed measures.
"Legislation like this scares me personally. The money involved in arresting, investigating and proving that an individual intended or held back what was in the drug is hard to prove," Ms. de la Cruz said in a statement provided to NBC Connecticut. "This is a disease of the brain and needs to be treated like one. The only way to turn this around is not on the supply side but on the demand side."