MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar today released the below statement following reports of a surge in K2 synthetic drug overdoses in Minnesota: 

“Minnesotans know too well the dangers synthetic drugs pose. Headshops like The Last Place on Earth pushed synthetics for years, and families across our state paid the price. This latest rash of overdoses makes clear that we must continue fighting to pass commonsense legislation that would keep these dangerous substances out of our communities – including my bipartisan bills that would make it easier for law enforcement to prosecute the sale and distribution of synthetic substances, and curb the trafficking of synthetic drugs like K2 into the U.S.”

As a former Hennepin County Attorney, Klobuchar has long led local and national efforts to curb synthetic drug abuse. She and a bipartisan group of senators earlier this year introduced the Synthetic Abuse and Labeling of Toxic Substances (SALTS) Act and the Synthetics Trafficking & Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act. The SALTS Act would make it easier to prosecute the sale of “analogue” drugs, which are synthetic substances that are substantially similar to illegal drugs. The STOP Act would help close a loophole in the U.S. postal system to stop dangerous synthetic drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil from being shipped through our borders to drug traffickers in the U.S.

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