Fentanyl laced drugs are fueling record overdoses across our state and I'm stepping up to try and stop it.

I'm proud to announce I've filed a bill which will allow for drug testing strips that can detect fentanyl and save lives.

In the last year for which there is data, 5,268 Floridians died from overdoses in 2019. More than 70% of these are from opioids of which fentanyl is the most dangerous. Fentanyl, laced into other narcotics, is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. If the user accidentally takes it, the consequences are often fatal.

Florida law currently considers all drug testing equipment as "paraphernalia." The thing is, cheap and accessible testing strips that could detect the presence of fentanyl are available and would save lives, if only Florida would legalize their use. That's precisely what my bill does.

Rather than being blindly tough on crime, we should strive to be smart on crime. Let's work together to save lives, reduce drug use, and make safe our streets. It's time we get to work.