Wichita City Council votes to decriminalize marijuana and fentanyl test strips
29 April 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The fentanyl crisis continues across the country. Kansas lawmakers passed a bill legalizing fentanyl test strips to help in that fight.
Fentanyl test strips (KSN File Photo)
Fentanyl test strips are tiny pieces of paper that people can use before taking a drug to see if fentanyl is in it. On Thursday, state lawmakers passed a bill to remove them from the drug paraphernalia list.
Some agencies, like the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, have already decided not to arrest anybody for having the test strips, but this bill puts all agencies on the same page.
Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter says they are seeing fentanyl added to many drugs, making the paper strips a valuable tool, especially for a particular group.
“Youth, especially young adults, will experiment with things and doesn’t mean they have a drug problem, doesn’t mean that they’re going to have a drug problem, but they do experiment,” said Sheriff Easter. “If this saves her life, then it saves their life.”
One Wichita mom passes fentanyl test strips on her own time after seeing what fentanyl could do firsthand.
“I just knew there was something different I didn’t know what it was, but there was such a desperation in her,” said Lisa Bortz.
Bortz lost her daughter Jillian Bortz to a fentanyl overdose in March of 2022. Jillian was a mother of three girls.
“I literally went from planning her birthday party to planning her funeral,” said Bortz.
Bortz buried her daughter on what would’ve been her 33rd birthday. Since then, Bortz has been involved in advocate groups like Safe Streets Wichita.
“Because people can’t recover if they’re dead right?,” said Aonya Kendrick Barnett, the Program Director for Safe Streets Wichita.
Safe Streets Wichita is excited to see Kansas lawmakers legalize fentanyl test strips.
“It is truly a life-saving tool. We didn’t want people to have to fined or thrown into jail over just because they were attempting to prevent an overdose,” said Barnett.
Sheriff Easter says fentanyl can be laced in everything.
“Kids think that they’re getting a Percocet, and they’re really not. They’re getting a fake Percocet pill which is laced with fentanyl, which will kill them,” said Sheriff Easter.
Bortz is hoping a test strip can save a life.
“So their parents don’t get a phone call. So their friends don’t have to dump them off at a hospital bay or leave them abandoned. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get it into those hands,” said Bortz.
The bill now goes to Kansa Governor Laura Kelly’s desk. She is expected to sign it. Safe Streets Wichita says they hope to see lawmakers look into policy to make a 911 good samaritan law next that would provide legal protection for people who call for help when they suspect a drug overdose.