GEORGIA, USA — Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill that will help strengthen penalties for drug dealers and distributors in the state.
This comes after 11Alive reported in March how parents Beth and Gus Walters were honoring their late son with the then-proposed legislation. Their child, Austin, struggled with anxiety, depression and the stigma surrounding mental illness. Beth said this eventually led him to buy Xanax off the street to help ease anxiety.
"This particular Xanax that he bought was laced with fentanyl, and it killed him almost immediately," she told 11Alive's Grace King.
Beth and Gus told 11Alive they thought they had everything they would need to hold someone accountable for selling the pills to Austin, including a Venmo transaction and an address.
But a detective told them it wouldn't be enough for more than a misdemeanor because of how the law is written -- sparking the idea of how the parents could honor their child.
"I can't change what the law was when that happened in our case," Beth said. "My goal here is to change it for someone else."
This drive inspired Austin's Law, which focuses on changes to legislation regarding controlled substances and fentanyl-related deaths. It also establishes a new category of offense, felony aggravated involuntary manslaughter, where drug dealers and distributors can be prosecuted.
Some advocates have previously expressed concerns and said they wanted to ensure the legislation would not discourage people from using Georgia's Medical Amnesty Law.
"There's no one that wants overdoses to stop more than I do," advocate Robin Elliott previously said. "If people are too afraid to call 911 over small quantities of drugs, they're more than likely not to call if it's manslaughter or murder. I just want to make sure people feel still safe to call 911."
Overall, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said that Austin's Law will help save people's lives by fighting back against people who traffic deadly substances and helping to combat the fentanyl crisis.
"Actions have consequences, and in Georgia, traffickers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Jones said. "Today's signing of Austin's Law marks a pivotal moment in our efforts to help end this deadly epidemic."