Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz has proposed stronger prosecutions and penalties for users and dealers of spice after a wave of emergency calls related to use of the designer drug Monday, October 19.
Currently only a $500 citation can be issued by Anchorage law enforcement for the possession of spice.
Kenai Peninsula Resident and anti-spice activist Jessica Burch says spice penalties are too low to deter businesses from selling it.
Burch: “With it being illegal and them still selling it, it just tells me that they are enjoying the money too much. It makes a ton of money.”
APD has issued 30 spice citations since August and Mayor Berkowitz says, “Expanding the range of penalties for distributing spice gives us greater ability to interdict the drug, reduce its use, and enhance public safety.”
The new Anchorage ordinance proposes increased penalties for spice distribution including up to one year in jail and a $10,000 fine(Class A misdemeanor). The maximum penalties for spice usage are proposed as up to six months in jail and a $2,000 fine(Class B misdemeanor).
Mayor Berkowitz says the recent wave of spice related emergencies are a drain on his city’s first responders.
The Anchorage Fire Department transported 468 patients for treatment who were suspected of consuming spice between July 18 and October 4, averaging about 6 patients transported every 24 hours.
The proposal is scheduled for the Anchorage Assembly agenda on October 27th.