New York Opioid Dealer Law – Long Island Lawmaker's Aggressive Stance

A suggested New York Opioid dealer law caught my eye as I paged through numerous workers’ compensation articles this week.  A Long Island lawmaker suggested a death sentence for any illegal opioid transactions.

According to the associated article and video:

Long Island Assemblyman Mike LiPetri is proposing a new law that would charge drug dealers with homicide if they illegally sell an opioid to someone who later died from an overdose. LiPetri calls it the “Death by Dealer” law.

The New York State Senate passed the bill, but the State House has not to date. The bill if passed in the House would not carry a death sentence. The dealer would be incarcerated with a life sentence. 

A psychologist commented in the article that putting someone in jail for life may not solve anything as the dealer may be in the middle of an addiction to the same opioids. 

Someone from my hometown in Oklahoma was arrested, charged, and convicted of selling part of their opioid prescription to pay for all their prescribed medications. The sentence was 15 years minimum.  

I usually avoid writing opioid articles.  The Worker’s Comp world has generated almost too many to read in the last few years.   One of the better study and article producers on opioids is WCRI. Check out their page here for a few recent articles on opioids.

One of the more interesting comments came from one of the manufacturers of a very addictive opioid. He said the drug would cause a prescription blizzard. You have to read the article to believe that comment.

The opioid blizzard cost the Federal, state, and local governments $37 billion in lost tax revenue. 

Two interesting articles that I wrote over the years on prescriptions are:

• Mentally Ill Use 300% More Opioids
• NSAIDS Provide Same Relief as Opioids

Assemblyman Mike LiPetri’s bill could pass the State House. I will write another article or update this one if the  New York Opioid Bill becomes law.

This blog post is provided by James Moore, AIC, MBA, ChFC, ARM, and is republished with permission from J&L Risk Management Consultants. Visit the full website at www.cutcompcosts.com.

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