AB 68/SB 101: Increasing Penalties for Death by Distribution

Harsher penalties for causing overdoses lead to more overdose deaths.

This bill would impose harsher penalties for those who supply drugs that lead to an overdose. It is alarming that “death by distribution” laws such as this result in the prosecution of friends and family members of overdose victims, who may be suffering from substance use disorders themselves, and not simply the high-level drug traffickers the law intends to target.

Research shows that fear of prosecution prevents people from making critical 911 calls in overdose situations, resulting in more deaths that could have been prevented.