2 arrested in connection to fentanyl poisoning of Georgetown High School student
GEORGETOWN, Texas - Two people were arrested in connection to a fentanyl poisoning of a Williamson County high school student.
The Williamson County Sheriff's Office said with the help of local law enforcement, two people were arrested for a fentanyl poisoning.
The victim was a Georgetown High School student, and died from the poisoning in January 2023.
RELATED: Georgetown father who lost son to suspected fentanyl poisoning wants suppliers in jail
In March, the Texas Senate unanimously passed a bill to classify fentanyl overdoses as poisonings.
It would allow prosecutors to charge people who make, sell, and deliver deadly drugs with murder. Charges for distribution of non-lethal fentanyl would also be upgraded.
Harris County Senator Joan Huffman says data shows fentanyl is the number one killer of people 18-45 in the U.S.
RELATED: State legislation filed in 2023 session would legalize fentanyl test strips
"According to the CDC, in the 12-month period ending in February 2022, more than 75,000 Americans died from overdosing on synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl," she said.
Senate Bill 645 passed unanimously this week, allowing medical examiners to designate fentanyl deaths as poisonings. This will allow prosecutors to charge distributors with murder.
In Hays County, several high school students have died from fentanyl poisonings. Parents and law enforcement continue to raise awareness on this crime.