WASHINGTON
DEA warns of fake pills
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Thursday issued a Public Safety Alert warning Americans of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The DEA’s Public Safety Alert, the first in six years, seeks to raise public awareness of a significant nationwide surge in counterfeit pills that are mass-produced by criminal drug networks in labs, deceptively marketed as legitimate prescription pills and killing unsuspecting Americans at an unprecedented rate. These counterfeit pills have been seized by DEA in every U.S. state in unprecedented quantities.
More than 9.5 million counterfeit pills were seized so far this year, which is more than the last two years combined. DEA laboratory testing reveals a dramatic rise in the number of counterfeit pills containing at least two milligrams of fentanyl, which is considered a lethal dose. A deadly dose of fentanyl is small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil.
Counterfeit pills are illegally manufactured by criminal drug networks and are made to look like real prescription opioid medications. Fake prescription pills are widely accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them available to anyone with a smartphone, including minors. For details, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
RALEIGH
Red-flag gun law possible
House Democrats are pushing for the N.C. General Assembly to debate two bills that would change gun laws in the state.
House Bill 525 would allow North Carolina residents to stop other people from obtaining a firearm in certain situations. House Bill 623 would require a permit for "long guns," or long-barreled guns.
Backers of the bill said it would reduce gun deaths and injures. Nearly 20,000 Americans were killed by gun violence in 2020, according to the Gun Violence Archive. As of Monday, 4,467 North Carolina residents have died from gun violence in North Carolina since 2014.
Opponents of red-flag legislation argue they infringe on Americans' rights to bear arms.
The N.C. Firearms Coalition said if the legislation passes, a person's enemy or ex-spouse could make false claims against them. The bill would implement a penalty for bogus claims, but the coalition said there is no "good version" of the legislation.
RALEIGH
Police reform bills are law
Gov. Roy Cooper signed a series of law enforcement reform legislation into law Sept. 2. Senate Bill 300 makes resisting arrest while causing serious injury to an officer a felony and increases police oversight, while two other pieces of legislation Cooper signed also call for police reforms.
Cooper and legislative leaders vowed to make changes to the justice system after summer protests in 2020. National civil unrest erupted on Memorial Day Weekend last year and continued through the summer in response to the police killing of black Americans. As a result, Cooper and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) launched task forces to develop law enforcement and criminal justice reforms. Lawmakers put forward the pieces of legislation.
House Bill 436 and SB 300 require new mental health and wellness training and psychological screenings for law enforcement officers. With the signing of HB 436, officers will be educated on maintaining good mental health and mental health resources. The state also will launch a study on the benefits of physical fitness testing of officers.
SB 300 goes further by requiring FBI criminal background checks for officers. It also creates an "early warning" system to track and document use-of-force incidents. Officials would be required to create a public database of officers facing suspensions and revocations.
From staff and The Center Square reports.