In an effort to tackle the ongoing opioid crisis in the province, Victoria has announced that it will consider tightening regulations on pill press machines with its new Pill Press and Related Equipment Control Act.
“Police have asked for more control and monitoring of who has use of pill presses,” said Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth in a news release published April 25. “This bill is critical in bolstering police efforts to disrupt the supply chain and get counterfeit pills off of the streets and out of the hands of those who recklessly distribute death-dealing drugs.”
If passed, the regulations would restrict ownership, possession and use of equipment that can be used to make illicit drugs, such as automated pill presses, gel cap machines and pharmaceutical mixers.
It’s an announcement that comes at a time when the use of fentanyl has prompted a spike in overdose deaths.
In Squamish, the powerful synthetic opioid has claimed at least one life this year. The Chief reported in January that the drug took the life of local youth Steffanie Lawrence.
