GUEST COLUMN: Legislation would have helped war on opioids – Colorado Springs Gazette

Last week in the Colorado Legislature, HB 23-1164, the Opioid Harm Reduction Act, was killed by the House Judiciary Committee.

As we know, opioid drugs, including fentanyl, have waged war on our communities, putting our children at risk, ripping families apart and taking lives at an alarming rate.

Sadly, opioids are a drug with high accessibility and the risk of addiction and death.

In 2021, more than 900 Coloradans died from a fentanyl overdose, according to state health department data, including four children under 1 and 35 people between the ages of 10 and 18.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine. It can be lethal in doses of about 2 or 3 milligrams.

That is as small of a dose as the point of a ballpoint pen.

Since its arrival on the illegal drug scene, drug traffickers often mix fentanyl into other drugs because it is cheap to manufacture, and a small amount goes a long way.

It is now common practice to make these drugs appear like candy, with bright colors, intending to attract school-aged children to this dangerous, highly addictive and often fatal drug.

HB 23-1164 would have eliminated the requirement a person had to knowingly possess fentanyl and other similar illegal drugs, allowing felony charges to be applied.

HB 23-1164 would have increased funding and access to Narcan for schools. Additionally, this bill would extend civil and criminal immunity to the Department of Education, or a person acting on behalf of the department, for acting in good faith to furnish an opioid antagonist to eligible schools, further protecting our children.

Passing this legislation would be a positive step toward preventing fentanyl from getting to our children and punishing criminals for possessing and selling these deadly drugs.

As your sheriff, I strongly supported this legislation, and I am disappointed our legislators did not act in the interest of public safety, pass this bill through committee, and get it to the governors desk to sign into law.

I urge Coloradans to contact their representatives at the Colorado Legislature and demand HB 23-1164, the Opioid Harm Reduction Act, be put back on the table.

I thank Minority Leader Mike Lynch for his leadership on this important legislation and urge our elected officials across Colorado to do more when it comes to the fight against the fentanyl epidemic.

Joe Roybal is the sheriff of El Paso County.

Joe Roybal is the Sheriff of El Paso County.

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GUEST COLUMN: Legislation would have helped war on opioids - Colorado Springs Gazette