Legislation Holding Drug Traffickers Responsible for Overdose Deaths and Providing Addiction Treatment Options Clears Ohio House

State Representative Tim Ginter (R-Salem) today applauded the Ohio House’s passage of House Bill 270. The legislation provides additional judicial discretion when dealing with Ohio’s heroin epidemic.

House Bill 270 would allow a judge to distinguish between a drug trafficker and a user. Under the legislation, drug traffickers can be held accountable for the death of another as a result of the offender’s illegal sale, distribution, dispensation, or administration of a controlled substance, while offering treatment options for the addicted.

“There is a lot of talk among government leaders about getting drug pushers off our streets, and yet we have not given our criminal justice system reasonable tools to accomplish the task,” said Rep. Ginter. “This bill gives our judges at the local level the power to differentiate between those drug dealers who have contributed to the death of another and those who are simply addicted and in desperate need of treatment.”

House Bill 270 also gives Ohio’s judges the option to impose a fine, rather than criminal charges or community control sanctions, based upon the facts of the case.

House Bill 270 now awaits consideration by the Ohio Senate.