Lawmakers announce plans to address fentanyl, carfentanil

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – In the wake of a rash of drug overdoses and deaths in the state, Attorney General Andy Beshear, House lawmakers, and local law enforcement officials announced plans on Friday to strengthen Kentucky’s laws in the fight against a spike in more powerful drugs emerging in Kentucky.

“In the past months, reports of heroin related overdoses and deaths have skyrocketed as drugs become more potent,” Beshear said. “Heroin is now often mixed with other very dangerous substances, like fentanyl, a drug 30 to 50 times as powerful as heroin, and carfentanil, an elephant tranquilizer. Carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine.”

New legislation would amend the state’s drug laws to create penalties for dealers of fentanyl, carfentanil, and other designer drugs.  The bill’s goal is to address fentanyl and similar powerful synthetic opioids, both known and unknown, by creating a new class definition for known fentanyl derivatives. Currently under state law classifications only cover fentanyl derivatives scheduled in Kentucky.  Under the legislation, controlled substance analogues, a broader definition, would cover unknown fentanyl derivatives and chemicals that have been altered beyond the current class description. 

Additionally, the bill creates and increases criminal penalties for trafficking of fentanyl, fentanyl derivatives and analogues, which are structurally similar chemical compounds. Both known and unknown fentanyl derivatives are potent and deadly. The increase amends previous statutes treating these drugs the same as heroin, despite them being significantly more dangerous.

Kentucky’s criminal penalties must adequately reflect the dangerous and deadly nature of these drugs, Beshear, lawmakers and a group of local law enforcement officials said at Friday’s announcement in Lexington. “Drug abuse is the single greatest threat to job growth and to a better life for all of us.,” says Beshear.  “That’s why I’m proud to support this legislation to hold those who would knowingly harm, even kill Kentuckians, to higher penalties in the law.”