Under new legislation proposed by Republican lawmakers, drug dealers who sell or give out fentanyl that leads to an overdose death could face felony murder charges.

It’s about time.

As The Hill reported, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, one of the sponsors of the legislation proposed in both the House and Senate, said in a statement that the goal is to send a “strong message to those who work with cartels and other bad actors — if you sell the drug and take an innocent life, justice will be delivered.”

What’s more, those convicted of the felony charge could be sentenced to life in prison or the death penalty.

Law enforcement on the local, state and national level are doing yeoman’s work in the war on drugs, but it’s an uphill battle. Drug trafficking is lucrative and the threat of a stint behind bars is often outweighed by the big bucks to be made peddling death and degradation.

But 10-to-40 as a guest of the state pales in comparison to a life, or death, sentence. Fentanyl has made devastating inroads across the country and a powerful deterrent to dealers is vital.

This isn’t the ’70s anymore.

“Our law enforcement agencies are in overdrive combating the drug epidemic in America, it’s time to take action and up the penalties for fentanyl dealers,” Gonzales said.

Thousands die each year of overdoses from fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that can be used on its own or mixed — often unknown to users — into other drugs. Deaths have been declining as health advocates and lawmakers respond to the crisis, according to figures the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released earlier this year.

Naloxone (Narcan), the reversal agent for fentanyl, is sold over the counter, and many college campuses have made it available as well. It saves lives, but more is needed. The rise in Xylazine use ups the horrifying ante. Unlike fentanyl, xylazine doesn’t have a reversal agent.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration cites Mexican cartels with suppliers in China as the “heart of this crisis” leading to overdose deaths.

Many states have pursued laws to try to combat the deadly drug. An Arizona woman was charged this week under a new state law that makes it a felony to intentionally sell fentanyl or fentanyl-laced drugs that lead to death.

A federal-level law is what’s needed to get dealers and their poison off the streets.

As addicts, their families and advocates know too well, a drug habit is but one piece of the puzzle. In order to keep the fixes coming, addicts fall into the sex trade or theft to get money. Drug dealing, especially of powerful opioids like fentanyl, contribute to ruined lives and shattered families.

Many states have dram shop laws, which hold bars and other establishments selling alcohol liable for damages caused by an intoxicated person. Purveyors of alcohol have a responsibility to ensure their patrons aren’t in a state in which they could harm others.

Peddlers of deadly drugs should be held to at least that standard, and enacting laws at the state level isn’t enough to stop the opioid scourge. The new legislation before Congress needs to get the green light.

_____

©2025 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at bostonherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.