Greg Abbott signs bill that will allow fentanyl deaths to qualify as murder

In an attempt to combat the fentanyl crisis, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a legislative proposal that will increase criminal penalties for fentanyl-related offenses.

Abbott went to the Texas Capitol Wednesday afternoon to move House Bill 6 forward to make it possible for prosecutors to charge a person who manufactures or delivers fentanyl with murder if someone dies as a result.

"Fentanyl has taken too many lives," the governor said after signing the law that will take effect September 1.

Once the law becomes effective, causes such as "fentanyl poisoning" or "fentanyl toxicity" may be added to death certificates if the toxicology reports of deceased persons show a lethal amount of the substance.

As Abbott commented a couple of months ago, fentanyl became the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 45, so he decided to prioritize this issue.

"I made fighting the fentanyl crisis an emergency item for the regular legislative session. Texas will save more lives from the scourge of fentanyl," he explained.

Fentanyl-related deaths quadruple

According to a recently published report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of deaths related to fentanyl quadrupled between 2016 and 2021, from registering 5.7 overdose deaths per 100,000 people to a rate of 21.6 deaths per 100,000.

The drug has become one of the most significant problems the country is dealing with, as it is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and even 100 times stronger than morphine.