Lake County Gazette

Adam R. Shores, who is seeking the 62nd District seat in the Illinois House of Representatives, maintains that a bill that would ease penalties for some of the most dangerous drugs is a step in the wrong direction to curb the growing opioid crisis in the state.  

Shores, seeking the House seat currently held by Sam Yingling, a Democrat, said in an interview he opposes House Bill 3447, which according to Prairie State Wire, was introduced by State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Downers Grove, and State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, passed the House, but failed in the Senate. The proposal, according to the report, would have only placed fines on anyone possessing up to 15 grams of cocaine, 200 grams of methamphetamine, 10 grams of PCP or 10 grams of ketamine. However, the report noted that penalties would increase for possession of more than 200 grams of fentanyl, which the Prairie State Wire noted would be enough to kill 100,000 people. 

“I oppose HB 3447 as it decriminalizes dealer-level quantities of fentanyl, making it easier for this killer drug to get into people’s hands, especially our kids,” Shores said in an interview.   

The opioid epidemic remains a problem, and in August the McHenry County Department of Health warned on the county website that overdoses, both fatal and nonfatal, were on the rise and opioid-related deaths were up by 250%, adding fuel to the debate that tougher laws are needed to stop the spread of drugs in the state. 

“Just recently, the Illinois State Police discovered 15,000 fentanyl pills disguised as candy,” Shores pointed out. “That’s startling news, especially with Halloween right around the corner.”  

The trafficking of the drug has become an increasing problem, and opioid overdose deaths have been on the rise in the state, according to Illinois.gov, which noted in 2020 2,944 people died from opioid overdoses, up 33% from the previous year. The website also noted that of all of the overdosed deaths in 2020, 83% were the result of synthetic opioids, and deaths from the overdose of those drugs were up more than 2,700% from 2013 to 2020.

“That fact that this Democrat-supported bill would make it easier to access this drug that preys on our youth is unconscionable,” Schmidt added.  

According to a post on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) website, fentanyl can be fairly cheap to make and is highly potent, which is a lure for many traffickers to mix it in with other drugs, which can prove deadly. The DEA noted on the website that it has found the drug mixed in with many other types of drugs and counterfeit prescription bills. The DEA also noted the synthetic version can be made in China, purchased by Mexican drug cartels and mixed with other drugs that are then sold in the United States. Shores pointed out that he would seek tougher laws against the drug.

If the bill passed, Schmidt said he would support its repeal, and “support law enforcement in their efforts to get predatory drugs off our streets and out of our communities.”