Press Statement  AG Healey's Statement on Fentanyl Legislation

Boston — Attorney General Maura Healey today gave the following statement regarding the Legislature’s advancement of legislation to criminalize the trafficking of fentanyl:

“Today, Massachusetts took an important step in the fight against heroin and prescription drug abuse. Fentanyl is the most powerful opioid painkiller available – it is up to 50 times stronger than heroin. Drug cartels have figured out how to manufacture it, and they are mixing it with heroin and taking lives across our state. This bill will help get a deadly drug off our streets and out of the hands of those struggling with addiction. We applaud the House and Senate for moving so quickly on this bill, and we thank Senate President Rosenberg, Speaker DeLeo, Representative Fernandes, and Senator Flanagan for their leadership on the issue. We look forward to a final bill reaching the Governor’s desk for his signature very soon so that we can give law enforcement the tools they need to prosecute those who traffic this lethal drug.”