BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - The South Carolina Senate is discussing a law that would enact fentanyl-induced homicide charges as Tri-County numbers report a significant drop in overdose deaths.
The law, sponsored by six state senators, including Berkeley County's Brian Adams, would create a felony for people who knowingly and unlawfully provide fentanyl or fentanyl-related substances to another person.
This is different from previous laws which would create involuntary manslaughter charges for overdose crimes. In this case, the law specifically targets fentanyl, an opioid drug which has fueled the continuation of a nationwide epidemic.
Those who are charged with S. 156 could face up to 30 years in prison. The law would apply to overdose deaths where a person injected, inhaled, absorbed or ingested any amount of fentanyl.
The Charleston County Coroner's Office saw 109 unintentional drug related deaths involving fentanyl in 2024. The number in 2023 was 180.
The Dorchester County Coroner's Office reported nine deaths involving fentanyl or fentanyl with other substances in 2024, and 28 in 2023.
Lastly, the Berkeley County Coroner's Office saw 35 fentanyl-involved overdose deaths in 2024 and 53 in 2023.
Leaders attribute the drop in cases to a wider awareness and supply of resources, like Narcan distribution. Each county also established a local branch of the state's Opioid Recovery Fund Board, where officials can provide funding and strategies to fight the crisis and track cases.
"This is giving people breath. It's keeping people alive so they can have the opportunity to seek treatment. It may take more than one time, they may be resistant to treatment to begin with and then we see success stories. Seeing the success stories has got to be the biggest reward of anything I've done," Berkeley County Opioid Recovery Fund Facilitator Allison Bilton said.
Bilton joined the coroner's office after she was directly impacted by substance use. She describes the job as difficult but life-changing for herself and the families they speak to.
"Sometimes we're having to talk to families on their worst days that have been through struggles I can relate to. Emotionally, it takes a toll. At the end of the day, when you have gathered information and you feel you can help someone else, it is very rewarding," Bilton said.
Coroner Darnell Hartwell believes his badge was a calling as a Berkeley County native hoping to make change.
"This is my home. I've lived here my entire life. A lot of the cases that come across my desk, I either know the individual or the family. My nearly 20 years of doing this work, I've lost count of how many family members I've had to sit down and tell them their loved one died from drug overdose. Many of them, involve fentanyl and other drugs," Hartwell said.
Multi-drug use, including the combination of opioids and stimulants, is a common trend in many overdose death investigations. The Senate bill would apply to any incident which involves fentanyl in any capacity, which Berkeley County hopes will help to streamline cases.
"One of the questions most families asked is, the person that sold this drug to them, they knew it was laced with fentanyl. What will happen to that individual? My hope is that these families that have been affected, this will be able to help them in their grief process. To know the person or people, or agencies or whatever may be named are going to be held liable," Hartwell said.
Hartwell adds drug cases can be difficult to prosecute and this could improve the way investigations are treated.
"Making sure these cases are being autopsied, making sure we have factual, great information for prosecutors so when they take cases to court, they have what they need," Hartwell said.
The funding from the Opioid Recovery Fund allows money to be allocated for prevention and research resources. The Coroner's Office can provide on-hand Narcan and overdose treatment kits or resources to families or individuals in need.
Bilton pushes for the community to eradicate stigmas surrounding discussions for overdose treatment.
"The resources available now are a totally different ball game than what was available several years ago. Because SCORF funds give us more opportunities to get the help they need. If you die from an overdose, your hope dies. As long as you have breath, you have hope. Don't use alone, test your drugs, hopefully you'll be ready to get help soon," Bilton said.
The "Never Use Alone" hotline can be accessed at 877-696-1996 or 800-484-3731.
If you feel you are at risk of an overdose from fentanyl, call 911 and administer Narcan, or Naloxone. The symptoms to look out for are:
Each of the county offices provides on-site Narcan or resource kits. For more information, you can contact the coroner's office or the law enforcement closest to you.