A new law takes effect in a couple of days that is seen as another tool in helping battle fentanyl in Pennsylvania.
The bill legalizes fentanyl test strips, which can detect the presence of the powerful opioid in other drugs.
Republican State Representative Jim Struzzi of Indiana says fentanyl is often added to drugs like heroin to make it more powerful.
“All of us have been effected by overdoses, whether indirectly or directly through the loss of a family member of loved one. And if we can give people a simple tool to give them a second chance we need to do that,” Struzzi said. “We can make a difference and we can save lives.”
State health officials say nearly 80 percent of the state’s 5,300 overdose deaths involved fentanyl.
