Montana's AG Reminds Montanans Of Fentanyl Dangers

From the Montana Department of Justice:

Montana's Attorney General, Austin Knudsen, shared a statement today reminding and warning Montanans about the dangers of fentanyl:

While the data proves that our drug task forces are doing a great job getting fentanyl off the street, they can’t catch it all. Too much of the dangerous drug is making its way across the southern border into our communities and it’s killing Montanans. It keeps me up at night knowing parents are losing their kids and young children are left to be raised by their grandparents or other family members.

In 2024 alone, the Montana Highway Patrol seized 30,805 fentanyl pills and 166 grams of fentanyl in powder form. That's the latest data, showing an upward trend of fentanyl seizures in Montana.

In 2023, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Forces seized a total of 398,552 dosage units of fentanyl, a 111% increase from 2022... a 600% increase from 2021... and a 20,000% increase from 2019.

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Fentanyl-linked deaths also continue to rise in Montana. The MT State Crime Lab preliminarily reported 80 overdose deaths involving fentanyl in 2023, a 1,900% jump from 2017 when there were just 4. However, that number does not reflect the statewide total... only deaths that have been verified through an autopsy.

How Is Montana Fighting Back?

AG Knudsen secured funding for 2 narcotics agents at the Division of Criminal Investigation during the 2023 Legislative Session. AG Knudsen also supported bills to help fight back against Fentanyl, such as HB 791, which imposes a mandatory 2-year jail sentence, $50,00 fine, or both for anyone convicted of selling Fentanyl in Montana.