"The dramatic rise of synthetic drug use in Illinois has created a
unique and difficult challenge for law enforcement," Madigan said.
"My office is working both with the legislature and local law
enforcement agencies to provide tools and resources to stop the
spread of these potentially deadly drugs."
House Bill 5233 targets the retail sale of synthetic drugs by
defining a "synthetic drug product" as one that contains a
controlled substance not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration. The bill also addresses the fact that these drugs
are sold in packages with misleading labels claiming the products
are legal. The bill further makes it illegal under the Illinois
Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act to sell these drugs and significantly
increases the penalty for selling synthetic drug products or
misbranded drugs.
"As a former police officer who understands how illegal drugs can
decimate communities, I enthusiastically sponsored this legislation
on behalf of Attorney General Madigan," said Rep. Costello,
D-Smithton. "This legislation directs our focus to those involved in
making and distributing constantly evolving drug concoctions."
[Text from file received from the office
of
Illinois Attorney General Lisa
Madigan] |