The Michigan House is expected to pass legislation increasing penalties against those who traffic fentanyl and other deadly drugs.

The bills would set new minimum prison sentences for manufacturing and selling fentanyl and heroin while also increasing maximum sentences and fines. State Representative Ann Bollin of Brighton is one of the lead authors of the legislation and talked about why it’s important.

“It’s absolutely devastating on families affected by this, and honestly, so many of these deaths, some people may think that they’re intentional, they’re drug addicts, many of them are accidental,” Bollin said. “It takes a minimal amount, a trace of fentanyl to be ingested and it’s killing people.”

Bollin says nearly 2,300 Michiganders died from opioid overdoses in 2023. 95% of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl.