Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) | Facebook
Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) | Facebook
House Republicans recently introduced legislation in response to the fentanyl crisis affecting Illinois.
“This is about protecting our communities and ensuring we are doing everything we can to prevent a dangerous drug like fentanyl from getting into the wrong hands, like those of the youngest residents in our communities,” Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) said at a Sept. 22 press conference.
HB 5808 would amend the Illinois Controlled Substances Act to increase the penalties associated with manufacturing, possessing, and intending to distribute fentanyl; add the new offense of “fentanyl trafficking” into the criminal code; and establish sentencing minimums. A press release notes that “current legislation driven by Democrats in the statehouse has worked to lower criminal penalties for fentanyl, which has helped exacerbate the current crisis.”
Bos’ legislative district, which includes most of Lake County and parts of suburban Cook County, has seen a sharp increase in fentanyl-related deaths in recent years, according to the release. Ninety-three people died from opioid overdoses in Lake County last year, and there were 52 opioid-related deaths during the first half of this year. In suburban Cook County, 487 people died from opioid overdoses in 2020, and fentanyl was involved in the majority of those deaths.
Depending on a person's body size and drug tolerance, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
In April 2021, the Illinois House barely passed a bill that would decrease the criminal penalty for possession of drugs including fentanyl, the Center Square reported. Sponsors of the bill, including Rep. Anna Stava-Murray (D-Downers Grove), said the measure was intended to route offenders to drug addiction treatment, rather than jail. Bos said of the bill at a press conference, "Five milligrams of fentanyl is lethal and deadly. We can’t have that be just a simple misdemeanor." The bill has not advanced in the Senate.
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