Combatting the Opioid Crisis
I have been working for the last several years for ways to combat the opioid crisis, and I have worked on a number of important pieces of legislation in this area. Despite our work, opioid abuse continues to be an enormous problem. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reports that one out of 65 deaths in Missouri in 2017 was due to an opioid overdose. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that from 2010 to 2015, the annual overdose death rate from opioids increased 57 percent, with a notable increase in deaths being attributed to synthetic opioids.
Synthetic opioids are made from chemicals in a lab that mimic naturally occurring opioids and include such drugs as fentanyl and carfentanil. Fentanyl is particularly potent — the lethal dose is only 2 milligrams — and has been associated with many overdose deaths. Fentanyl is less expensive than heroin, so drug traffickers often mix it with heroin, use it as a counterfeit of other drugs or add it to other drugs such as marijuana. Heroin laced with fentanyl caused the death of the musician Prince.
This session, I am sponsoring legislation to target the distributors of synthetic opioids that fuel this crisis. Senate Bill 198 increases the penalties for distributing fentanyl or carfentanil from a Class C felony to a Class B felony. This bill also labels distribution of these two drugs as a dangerous felony, thereby strengthening the penalty requirements for those convicted of these crimes.
Other measures moving through the Legislature also target those trafficking of these dangerous opioids. The Missouri Senate recently approved Senate Bill 6. This legislation increases the penalties associated with fentanyl and carfentanil trafficking. Also making its way through the Missouri House is House Bill 239, sponsored by Rep. Nick Schroer of St. Charles County, which strengthens the law against those trafficking fentanyl and other drugs commonly associated with “date rape” like Rohypnol. This bill passed the House in late February, and I will be its handler in the Senate.
I believe these measures have the ability to fight the opioid epidemic in our state and get dangerous drugs off our streets. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Missouri Senate to help pass these important pieces of legislation.
As always, thank you for your interest in our work at the State Capitol. I look forward to discussing some of the important issues affecting our state and our community in my next report. It is an honor and a privilege to serve you in the Missouri Senate!
Very Sincerely,
Robert F. (Bob) Onder, Jr