STATEHOUSE (Feb. 19, 2013) – The full Senate today approved a bill authored by State Sen. Ron Alting (R-Lafayette) that gives law enforcement new tools to help eliminate dangerous synthetic drugs in Indiana.

Senate Bill 536 would give more investigative and enforcement powers to the office of the Indiana attorney general and create new penalties for the sale and possession of synthetic drugs and lookalike substances.

“I authored legislation in 2011 that began the fight against these dangerous drugs in Indiana,” Alting said. “Since then we have made progress, but manufacturers and retailers are still attempting to skirt our laws to profit off of these life-threatening drugs.”

The legislation would also alter the current definition of “intoxication” under Indiana Code to include impairment by any substance, excluding food and food ingredients, tobacco or a dietary supplement. The Hoosier state’s current definition for intoxication only includes impairment by specific named substances, creating situations in which police were unable to arrest a person driving under the influence of a newly created synthetic drug.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller, the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council and Indiana State Police officials support the bill.

SB 536 passed the full Senate 47-2 and now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.