Mayor Ruais testifies at Statehouse in support of bills increasing jail time for certain drug offenses
Mayor Jay Ruais testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, throwing his support behind two bills (SB 14 and SB 15 – see below) aimed at increasing penalties related to fentanyl possession and distributing a controlled drug that results in death.
Bills would increase jail time for certain fentanyl-related offenses and distribution of controlled drugs that result in death.
MANCHESTER, NH – Mayor Jay Ruais testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, throwing his support behind two bills (SB 14 and SB 15 – see below) aimed at increasing penalties related to fentanyl possession and distributing a controlled drug that results in death.
Ruais told the committee, “As mayor, my most important responsibility is safety, a big component of which is dealing with our opioid epidemic — that includes the scourge of fentanyl. The ripple effect Fentanyl has had on children, families and neighborhoods cannot be understated; it has been devastating. Even one life lost is too many. The good news is, we are fighting back, and with help from legislative efforts like SB 14, and SB 15 we will make even more gains.
“Working with our community partners and the State of New Hampshire, opioid overdoses fell 24%, and fatalities from overdoses dropped 21% in 2024. These are incredibly encouraging results,” said Ruais. “Additionally, in December of 2024, we recorded the lowest 1-month suspected opioid overdose response total in nearly 5 years in Manchester. We are making progress, and that’s exactly why we cannot let up in our efforts.”
Ruais shared additional statistics saying, “Of the over 4,500 arrests conducted by the Manchester Police Department in 2024, 889 of them were drug-related, that’s nearly 20-percent. And, half of those drug-related arrests were for fentanyl or heroin. The number of cases with fentanyl greater than 5 grams was 103. 26 of them were greater than 28 grams. In total, the City of Manchester seized more than 7,300 grams of fentanyl/heroin in 2024.”
“By establishing a mandatory minimum sentence of 3 years and 6 months for those convicted of possessing more than 5 grams or more of fentanyl, and sentences of 7 years in prison for those convicted of possessing 28 grams, we have even more ammunition to combat the scourge on our streets that has ruined too many lives and stolen too many futures. SB 14 and SB 15 send strong messages that New Hampshire is serious about deadly drugs like fentanyl – and if you are found in possession of this killer drug, or you distribute this type of controlled drug and it results in someone’ death, you will face significant jail time. In the end, the people who peddle this poison have no place on the streets of Manchester,” Ruais added.
The mayor ended by saying, “While SB 14 and SB 15 will be incredibly helpful in the fight against fentanyl on our streets, an equally important companion issue is Bail Reform. I look forward to working with legislators in Concord on this and other pressing public safety concerns.”
