New Gwinnett Co. committee to decide how to spend $1M to fight opioid addiction

GWINNETT COUNTY — Gwinnett County is using a new approach to tackle fentanyl deaths in the community.

Police just used a new state law to arrest the woman who they say sold a man the drugs that killed him.

Now the county is adding a new committee in charge of a fund that’s paid for with money by pharmaceutical companies that have had to settle opioid lawsuits.

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The mother of 25-year-old Jaspen Screws told Channel 2′s Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson that her son had no idea a prescription pill he bought was laced with a deadly dose of fentanyl.

Screws died on May 20 and became one of the latest lives lost to fentanyl in Gwinnett County.

His death comes as the county is stepping up efforts to combat the opioid crisis in the community with state dollars.

A five-person committee is being created to make recommendations on how to best spend a million dollars to tackle opioid addiction.

Two weeks ago police arrested and charged the person they say sold fentanyl to Screws.

Police used a new state law called Austin’s law that brings tougher charges.

Cara Edelkind now faces aggravated involuntary manslaughter charges on top of felony murder and drug charges.

For families affected by fentanyl, they say the more that can be done to save lives the better.

On Saturday Commissioner Jasper Watkins is holding a fentanyl town hall with law enforcement and the community from 10 am to 2 pm at the Gwinnett County Justice Building.

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