Reeves bill to declare fentanyl as a weapon of terrorism overwhelmingly passes Va Senate

As both chambers of Virginia’s state legislature labored into the night on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, the Virginia Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 1188 with a generous margin of 38-2. SB1188, carried by Senator Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) in cooperation with the Office of Attorney General Jason Miyares (R-Virginia), will define any substance containing detectable amounts of fentanyl as a weapon of terrorism. The bill will also allow the Virginia criminal justice system to charge individuals who knowingly and intentionally distribute any substance containing detectable amounts of fentanyl with a class four felony, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

“Thank you to Senator Reeves for his extraordinary leadership in championing this critical legislation,” said Attorney General Miyares. “What is happening against innocent Virginians is nothing less than chemical warfare, and Bryce Reeves has been a tireless partner in working with me to keep Virginians safe.”

2021 saw a near 25% increase in lethal fentanyl overdoses within the Commonwealth, with over 2,000 Virginian lives lost. Between February 2021 and February 2022, over 75,000 Americans died of synthetic opioid overdose, more than every American casualty during the Vietnam War combined. Fentanyl currently sits as the leading cause of death for American adults ages 18-45.

“I’m proud to have had the support of so many of my colleagues in this endeavor to address the ongoing opioid epidemic within our Commonwealth,” commented Reeves.

“This issue is one we simply cannot afford to politicize. Not two weeks ago, a 17-year-old high school girl in my district overdosed on fentanyl-laced pills sold to her as Percocet. Just one week ago, another young teen in Arlington died of a fentanyl overdose. This drug is killing our youth… I’ve seen first-hand during my time as a narcotics detective just how drastically opioids can affect families.”

Senator J. Chapman Petersen (D-Fairfax) spoke in favor of the bill on the Senate floor before the vote took place. “I’ve been here long enough to remember when we enacted this statute… in direct response to anthrax. It was put into our commercial system with the intent of poisoning people. I think there are a lot of similarities with what’s going on with fentanyl…. The bottom line is, I think this is an appropriate response….”