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New legislation signed in Arizona to prevent fentanyl overdoses

The legislation will remove fentanyl testing products from the list of illegal drug paraphernalia in the state.

ARIZONA, USA — Editor's note: The above video aired during a previous broadcast.

Arizona State Gov. Doug Ducey signed new legislation Tuesday morning aimed at preventing people from overdosing on fentanyl as deaths from the drug continue to rise across the state, the governor's office said.

The bill, SB 1486, will remove fentanyl testing products from the list of illegal drug paraphernalia in the state, the bill's text said. The testing products work like urinalysis test strips to detect the presence of lethal fentanyl in a narcotic.

The bill aims to allow those who use the drug or suffer from addiction to be aware when a drug is laced with a lethal narcotic.

“We want everyone who is using drugs to seek professional treatment. But until someone is ready to get help, we need to make sure they have the tools necessary to prevent a lethal overdose," Ducey said.

The bill was authored by State Sen. Christine Marsh, whose youngest son, Landon Marsh, died of a drug overdose last May. He bought a street drug laced with fentanyl, Marsh said, and it killed him. 

RELATED: 'It doesn't ever go away': Arizona state senator shares grief after son's overdose death and her mission to protect others from fentanyl

"Illegal drug use can be extremely dangerous, and with the prevalence of fentanyl being laced into other drugs, it can be deadly," Marsh said. 

Landon was a newlywed and a mechanical engineering student who made “a really bad choice” with a friend on a weekend night in Tucson, Marsh said in a previous interview with 12 News where she spoke openly about her grief.

“It doesn't ever go away,” Marsh said. “I know that true peace and maybe even true happiness are going to be very elusive.

"Landon would want me to do everything possible to help others."

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