California Senate Committee Approves Tougher Penalties On Fentanyl

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A California Senate committee unanimously approved increasing criminal penalties for illegal distribution of a drug that's been connected to ten deaths in the Sacramento area.

Sacramento health officials report Fentanyl has caused 42 overdoses and claimed nine lives in Sacramento area and one in Yolo County.

The bill was proposed before the recent surge in overdoses linked to the drug. It would add fentanyl to the list of drugs such as heroin and cocaine. If someone is caught with more than a kilogram of the drug, they would get three extra years of prison time. Four kilograms would net an additional five years and 10 kilograms would add 10 years.

It passed the California Senate Health Committee unanimously on Tuesday.

Opponents say simply adding time to drug dealers won't address the public health crisis linked to the drug.