New law boosts government's fight against meth, fentanyl
By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Drug dealers on Guam are facing stiffer penalties under a new law that seeks to step up the government’s efforts to curb local distribution of meth and fentanyl.
Bill 239- 37, now Public Law 37-113, imposes life sentences without parole and fines of up to $75 million.
The new law removes the court’s option to set shorter prison terms for first-time offenders. The sentence is based on quantity, setting the floor at 25 years for large amounts of the substances and punishing repeat offenders with 30 years to life.
“To the dealers of meth and fentanyl: ‘Adahi! Your days are numbered,” said Sen. Chris Barnett, the bill’s author. “I’m thankful Gov. Leon Guerrero signed Bill 239 into law and I’m glad she agrees with the 37th Guam Legislature about sending a strong message to the meth and fentanyl dealers who are poisoning our island.”
While crystal meth has been the most commonly abused drug on Guam for decades, fentanyl recently entered the market.
Fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic piperidine opioid primarily used as an analgesic, is 20 to 40 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, according to law enforcers.
The Guam Police Department has reported three fentanyl-related deaths on island this year.
While signing the bill into law, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said legal tools alone won’t eliminate the island's drug epidemic.
“This bill significantly lengthens some prison sentences, no one should believe this will resolve the problem of drugs on our island,” the governor stated in a transmittal letter on the Guam legislature.
Addressing the island’s drug problem requires a holistic approach, the governor said. “As leaders, we have a responsibility not only to punish those who sell drugs to our citizens but to also invest in drug treatment and rehabilitation programs to help our people who are addicted to these terrible substances reclaim their lives,” she said.
“We also must address those societal issues which increase the likelihood of individuals turning to drugs. It is only through a holistic approach to the problem of drug use on Guam that we will eliminate this plague on our citizens,” the governor added.
According to Guam’s Strategy for Drug Control released in October last year, adult offenders with substance abuse problems need constant support and attention to prevent relapse. The strategy, prepared by the Bureau of Statistics and Plans, proposed a post-recovery aftercare program to facilitate the drug offender’s full recovery and stability.
“The presence of fentanyl, methamphetamine and similar narcotics on our island is a horror that tears at our community and destroys lives. I applaud our law enforcement officers who each day fight against this horror. I applaud the doctors, counselors, clergy, and volunteers who fight to save lives and give of themselves to help us heal,” Leon Guerrero said.
The Guam Behavioral Health & Wellness Center and Alcohol Branch is in charge of implementing a transitional mechanism for adults who have completed the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program. After being released from corrections, the drug offender is referred to a therapeutic community or aftercare and or continued care programs.
“We have a lot of great people working in recovery and treatment and they’re waiting for those struggling with addiction to come in and get help. So go get help,” Barnett said.
“I’m grateful this bill passed into law, especially for our law enforcement community,” Barnett said. “Now when they work hard to catch meth and fentanyl dealers, they know that these bad people will be going away for a very long time. And that makes their hard work even more worth it.”
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