• Ahead of the upcoming Legislative Session, Attorney General Ashley Moody publicly endorsed Senate Bill 736, which would permanently add nitazene compounds — colloquially known as Frankenstein opioids — to the list of Schedule I substances. 
• The classification would also prevent the drug from being administered in controlled medical environments, as it would not meet accepted safety standards.
• The bill, filed by Sen. Jason Brodeur, has been referred to the Criminal Justice and Fiscal Policy committees.

State Attorney General Ashley Moody is offering her public support for Senate Bill 736, filed by Sen. Jason Brodeur, which would permanently add nitazene compounds — colloquially known as Frankenstein opioids — to the list of Schedule I substances in Florida.

According to state law, a substance demarcated by Schedule I classification has a high potential for abuse. Per the Office of the Attorney General, nitazene compounds are synthetic opioids that have been found to be significantly more potent than fentanyl. 

The label would also prevent the drug from being administered in controlled medical environments, as it would not meet accepted safety standards.

Brodeur’s bill, filed on Feb. 17, has been referred to the Criminal Justice and Fiscal Policy committees, where the legislation will be reviewed during the upcoming Regular Session.

In addition to permanently banning the chemical compounds, Brodeur’s legislation would also create a nitazene derivatives class that controls substances based on chemical structure and will include current emergency-controlled substances, thus reducing the need for emergency-drug-schedule requests.

“Last year, I signed an emergency rule temporarily adding these deadly nitazene compounds to the Schedule I controlled substance list,” said Moody. “I am proud to announce my support for SB 736, which will permanently add these incredibly deadly drugs to the Schedule I list. For years, I have been warning about how just one pill laced with fentanyl can kill, but with some of these nitazene compounds that message is becoming, one pill will kill.” 

In 2021, drug overdose deaths topped 100,000, according to the National Institute of Health, with many directly attributable to synthetic opioids. Last year, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement identified more than 140 incidences of synthetic opioids across the state, with a further 34 occurrences so far in 2023. 

“I am proud to fight with [Attorney General Ashley Moody] this legislative session to permanently ban these substances and any additional compounds that could be abused and kill Floridians,” said Brodeur. 

Slowing the spread of opioid substances has been a chief priority of state leaders of late, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis, who announced plans earlier this month to utilize $205.7 million from the state’s Opioid Settlement Agreement to create an Office of Opioid Recovery.

The office will operate as an arm of the Department of Children and Families and oversee treatment and recovery efforts throughout the state. The money will be spent on establishing the office, improving access to treatment and recovery services, and developing educational prevention materials, as well as expanding the Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) Network.

The Opioid Settlement Funds will also be used to distribute 186,000 naloxone kits to hospitals, county health departments, and community behavioral health settings to plan for naloxone saturation needs.