GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) – Colorado business and law enforcement leaders have come together to discuss the growing number of fentanyl victims and its impact on communities across the state.
Statewide, fentanyl-related deaths have increased in recent years at an alarming rate. This according to data from the Common Sense Institute, which says 540 people died statewide from fentanyl use between 2019 and 2020, an increase of 143 percent. But when 2021 rolled around, that number jumped to more than 800 people, a 260 percent increase.
“I think we really need to treat fentanyl differently,” said Mitch Morrissey, a former Denver district attorney. “Fentanyl is a deadly and dangerous substance and should be treated as such.”
Fentanyl and other opioid-related deaths are something law enforcement officials say they are all too familiar with.
“Members of the Colorado Police Chiefs Association see firsthand the impact of crime and the increased use of fentanyl throughout the state of Colorado,” said Basalt Chief Greg Knott. He believes that possessing any amount of fentanyl should be a felony charge.
In 2019, the Colorado Legislature passed House Bill 19-1263, which made possession of 4 grams or less of most drugs, including fentanyl, a misdemeanor rather than a felony. serious.
On Tuesday, April 12, Bill 22-1326 will be presented in the House of Representatives. The bill says that any amount of fentanyl in a compound weighing more than four grams would be treated as a drug-related felony. But anything less than four grams would still be considered a misdemeanor. But for those participating in the discussion, that is something they would like to change.
“The way this law is currently set up is you can have that four grams or less of fentanyl,” said George Brauchler, district attorney for the 18th Judicial District. “You could kill all 2,000 people with four grams and you would still be eligible for parole under statute. That’s crazy for crack smoke.”
Panel members also discussed the economic impacts of the fentanyl crisis. According to the Common Sense Institute, the cost of crime and opioid overdoses in Colorado costs taxpayers billions. Of the more than 1,100 opioid deaths in 2021, 73% were attributed to fentanyl use at a cost of $11.1 billion. Compared to $1.3 billion in 2017.
With the potential to make possession of any amount of fentanyl a felony, the hope is that people will get the treatment and rehabilitation they need. Brauchler said making it a crime would help people down that road.
“It’s not that making it a felony is an attempt to criminalize addicts, or an attempt to just lock them up and throw away the key. It’s really the gatekeeper for us in introducing them to mandatory participation in monitored sobriety in treatment, rehabilitation and recovery.”
House Bill 22-1326 is also geared toward increasing potential sentences for distributing, manufacturing, or selling fentanyl. If the bill passes, the Department of Public Health and Environment will be required to create a statewide fentanyl prevention and public education campaign.
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