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 Among the bills signed were House Bills
3042 and
2089, which add
chemical compounds for specific cathinone derivatives, commonly
known as "bath salts," including methylenedioxypyrovalerone, known
as MDPV,
to the list of Schedule I controlled substances. Since last year,
the American Association of Poison Control Centers has reported a
sixfold increase in calls related to the consumption of bath salts,
which produce severe hallucinations, paranoia and psychotic
episodes when consumed. Previously, "bath salts" were unregulated
and legal, in part due to their labeling as unfit for human
consumption.
"We want to make sure our drug policies are aggressive, current and
responsive," Quinn said. "These new laws bring Illinois to the
cutting edge of enforcement policies and advance our efforts to make
Illinois a safe, productive and drug-free state."
House Bill 3042 was sponsored by Rep. Robert Pritchard, R-Sycamore,
and Sen. Jacqueline Collins, D-Chicago; and House Bill 2089 was sponsored by Rep. Wayne Rosenthal, R-Litchfield, and Sen. Sam McCann, R-Carlinville. Both bills passed the General Assembly unanimously.
Quinn also announced the signing of
House Bill 21,
which expands the definition of a drug-induced homicide to include
the absorption of a controlled substance. Sponsored by Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Freeport, and Sen. Tim Bivins, R-Dixon, the bill aims to
close a loophole in state law to prevent the abuse of prescription
pain-killing fentanyl patches. Absorption abuse of the patches
occurs when an individual cuts a transdermal fentanyl patch into
halves and applies it to their skin.
Under current law, a drug-induced homicide is defined as a crime
committed by an individual who unlawfully delivers an illegal drug
to someone whose death is caused by the injection, inhalation or
ingestion of that substance. House Bill 21 adds absorption of the
substance to the statute. The State Line Area Narcotics Team strongly supported and advocated for the legislation.
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Also signed into law was
House Bill 2595, which cracks down on drug
abuse. Sponsored by Rep. Dennis Reboletti, R-Elmhurst, and Sen.
Jacqueline Collins, D-Chicago, the new law adds certain synthetic
equivalents of cannabis to the Illinois Controlled Substances Act as
Schedule I controlled substances. These equivalents include "Spice"
or "K2" and nine chemical compounds considered synthetic cannabinoids.
House Bill 2595 takes effect Jan. 1, and House Bills 3042, 2089 and
21 go into effect immediately.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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