The Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office has determined guidelines for charges relating to fentanyl overdose deaths.
According to the D.A.’s Office, it will begin charging user-to-user fentanyl overdose deaths as Manslaughter in the First Degree. People sharing the drug with no intent to cause harm to the person they are sharing with is presented as a different fact scenario for prosecutors.
“We are very sensitive about fentanyl and how dangerous it is,” said Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Zemp Behenna. “I want to protect the community at large, and that includes a user who may be in distress. No one should be afraid to call for medical help if someone they are using with takes a turn for the worse.”
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD) says fentanyl is a synthetic opioid and Schedule II drug that is 100 to 1,000 times stronger than morphine. An issue of great concern is fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl.
According to OBNDD, drug organizations will often buy fentanyl and use it as a cutting agent because it is strong yet inexpensive. Heroin can be cut with fentanyl, or it can be pressed into pills to look like other drugs such as Oxycodone.
“We take any death seriously and there should be accountability when someone dies from an overdose of fentanyl,” said Behenna. “But our goal should be to pursue the dealers and traffickers who are making a profit on the backs of Oklahomans who have an addiction. Of particular concern is counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills, which OBNDD says is the most common form of illicit fentanyl on the streets.”
The District Attorney’s Office says it will work alongside local and state law enforcement to go after the dealers and traffickers who are distributing the drug in Oklahoma County. They will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, including cases where the dealers’ and traffickers’ conduct can be a proven cause of an overdose death, according to officials.
By Caroline Sellers – KFOR
Tags: Fentanyl Law New Drug Trend Overdose
