ALBANY, NY -- Governor Cuomo has announced a new budget amendment to help address New York State's fentanyl crisis.
The 30-day budget amendment will allow for 11 fentanyl analogs to be added to New York's controlled substances schedule. A loophole in the current state law has kept those fentanyl analogs off the schedule until now.
The amendment will also allow the State's Health Commissioner to add any new drugs added to the federal schedule, to the state's schedule.
According to Cuomo, the number of fentanyl-related deaths in New York increased by almost 160% in 2016.
In his announcement, he says the amendment, "will give law enforcement the tools they need to combat this drug, holding the death dealers who peddle it accountable and helping ensure that our laws are able to keep pace with this evolving public health crisis."
