KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As of July 1, people caught with more than 0.5 grams of fentanyl in Tennessee will face felony penalties. A new law went into effect in Tennessee, named the "One Pill Will Kill Act."
The law made it a Class-B felony to have, deliver or produce fentanyl. People caught with it may face a fine of up to $100,000, and Class B felonies can include prison time of up to 30 years, depending on the sentence. The law is meant to discourage people from having or distributing fentanyl and cut down on overdose death.
Stephanie Maddoxx said that her substance abuse started with one pill — a prescription medication.
"Which didn't last long because you need more, and then it ended up into fentanyl," she said. "I first started selling drugs. Fentanyl really wasn't that big of a thing. So, it was more like cocaine-based and stuff like that. But then, when I became an addict, of course, it switched over to fentanyl."
She said it took years of recovery to eventually stop using drugs. She said now, fentanyl is becoming more common.
"It doesn't discriminate. It's everywhere," she said.
According to Tennessee, a single pill can contain enough fentanyl to kill a person. They said people who make illegal drugs may use fentanyl in them, and those people may not evenly distribute the amount of fentanyl in pills.
The One Pill Will Kill Act was sponsored by Senator Jon Lundberg (R - Bristol). He said he believes it would reduce drug-related crimes in the state and said District Attorneys across Tennessee are reporting a rise in drug-related overdoses.
"We're not talking just about the users, but also the dealers and those who are in the distribution of the drugs. We're going after that entire chain," he said.
Tennessee code already imposes severe penalties on drug crimes related to substances like cocaine and methamphetamine. The new law adds fentanyl to the list.