Rivco District Attorney shares support for new law related to fentanyl
One of the bills recently signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom was sponsored by Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin.
Anyone convicted of drug-related offenses will soon need to complete a treatment or education program. Senate Bill 46 goes into effect beginning January 1.
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Hestrin says the education and treatment programs would include information about the dangers of controlled substances, including fentanyl.
The bill is a significant change to drug legislation making court-ordered drug treatment and education programs more accessible for people convicted of drug-related crimes.
Hestrin says thousands of people die in our state from opioid overdose each year and he hopes this new law gives people the tools they need to help turn their lives around.
"Do you think this is a sign that California is really starting to crack down on fentanyl?" News Channel 3's Peter Daut asked Hestrin.
Hestrin answered, "I think it's a sign that leaders in our state are beginning to understand the magnitude of the crisis we're facing. there's still a lot of I believe misguided rhetoric coming from Sacramento that, 'Oh this is just the drug war reincarnated, we're going back to the 80s and 90s,' and that's just not true. fentanyl changed everything."
You can watch the full, in-depth interview with Hestrin at the top of the article.
