Jack Vrett, candidate for State Rep in the 53rd district | Provided Photo
Jack Vrett, candidate for State Rep in the 53rd district | Provided Photo
Legislation introduced in the Illinois House this week would increase penalties for those possessing, manufacturing, and delivering the lethal drug fentanyl, and would create sentencing minimums for offenses in which criminals attempt to market the deadly drug to young residents.
Jack Vrett, Republican candidate for the 53rd Illinois House District seat, voiced his support for newly introduced legislation, HB 5808, aimed at combating the opioid epidemic through stricter penalties for those possessing dealer-level quantities of fentanyl.
“As a former criminal prosecutor, keeping dangerous drugs off the streets is a public safety priority,” Vrett said. “This new legislation takes the right approach to tackling this deadly issue by addressing it head on and ensuring those responsible for drug trafficking are held accountable.”
In suburban Cook County, there were 487 opioid-involved overdose deaths in 2020, a 36% increase from 2019, with 83% of the deaths involving fentanyl, according to the Cook County Department of Public Health.
In 2021, HB3447 amended the Criminal Identification Act decriminalizing possession of up to three grams of fentanyl and other drugs to a misdemeanor. Co-sponsors of the bill included Illinois Speaker of the House Emanuel Chris Welch and House District 53 incumbent Rep. Mark Walker ( D-Arlington Heights).
“While three grams of fentanyl may not sound like much, it contains thousands of doses and is strong enough to kill 1,500 people,” Vrett said. “These are drug trade quantities of fentanyl, and instead of lowering penalties, we should find constructive ways to stop the flow of opioids into our communities.”
HB3447 also stipulates that multiple misdemeanor charges for possession of opioids cannot result in stiffer penalties, meaning that repeat offenders would be treated the same as first-time offenders.
Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18-45, according to the CDC. Additionally, overdose deaths involving opioids rose 38.1% from January 2020 to January 2021 and overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids (primarily illicitly manufactured fentanyl) rose 55.6% and appear to be the primary driver of the increase in total drug overdose deaths, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
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