BILL NUMBER:  S6944

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the public health law, in relation
to designating certain substances as schedule I or schedule II opiates

 PURPOSE :

This bill adds new derivatives of fentanyl to the controlled substance
schedule.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section one of the bill adds two new derivatives to Schedule I,
bringing New York's schedule in line with the current Federal
Schedule.

Section two of the bill adds two new fentanyl derivatives to Schedule
II, bringing New York in to line with the Federal Schedule.

Section three is the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Fentanyl is a strong pain medication, that when administered in a
medical setting, is often combined with anesthesia to prevent surgery
related pain. When improperly used, the effects of fentanyl can lead
              

to serious or life threatening respiratory problems.

It has been reported that fentanyl has a similar euphoric effect to
morphine and heroin. However, according to the New York Times,
fentanyl is 100 times as powerful as morphine and much deadlier than
heroine since it requires more naloxone (a drug used to reverse the
effects of an opiate overdose).

The prevalence of fentanyl abuse has been on the rise. Due to the fact
that fentanyl is cheaper than heroin, drug dealers have been mixing
fentanyl with heroin in order to produce a cheaper product, which far
too often results in a lethal combination.

In 2015, the Drug Enforcement Administration submitted a nationwide
alert about fentanyl-laced herion and reported that the number of
fentanyl-related cases increased from 942 in 2013, to 3,344 in 2014.
The Onondoga County Health Department reported that one-third of
heroin overdose deaths involved the presence of fentanyl. By adding
additional fentanyl derivatives to the controlled substance schedule,
we can deter criminal behavior and help save lives.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New Bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to the State.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.