VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - Governor Brian Kemp signed the Fentanyl Eradication and Removal Act, also known as the FEAR Act, into law on May 12, 2025.

This law creates separate offenses specific to fentanyl and its related substances in Georgia.

One South Georgia family is taking this opportunity to share their experiences with the harsh reality of fentanyl firsthand.

Gus Walters, father of Austin Walters, says, “These laws are going to prevent deaths in the entire state of Georgia, and I think that’s what we are the proudest of.”

Austin tragically passed in September of 2021 after taking a single pill that was laced with fentanyl.

Since their son’s death, Beth and Gus Walters have worked with state legislators to change policy and laws to hold those in possession accountable. Their efforts led to Austin’s Law and the FEAR Act.

The FEAR Act now allows harsher penalties for those possessing, selling and distributing fentanyl and its related substances.

Austin’s Law created a new offense called involuntary manslaughter both holding offenders accountable for death by fentanyl.

When discussing the two recent laws passed, Beth Walters said, “We feel like we have a stop and a stop it’s like a pair of bookends, but there is a lot of work left to do in the middle.”

Jack Paulson, Assistant Chief for SGMC Health EMS, said fentanyl is stronger than any narcotic on the street, which is why access to Narcan is critical.

“In Lowndes County, Narcan has been placed in police cars, sheriffs cars, fire trucks — all emergency vehicles that operate in Lowndes County so that even before ambulance gets there, Narcan can be delivered and deployed to the patient,” said Paulson.

According to Paulson, there’s been a 300% increase in fentanyl deaths between 2019 and 2022.

“We use it every day on the ambulance, ER and other parts of the hospital, but we use a lot lower dosage than [what] comes in on the street. So having it available in the right places is important, but it’s extremely dangerous when it’s not in the right places,” said Paulson.

The Walters family, founded Austin’s Promise to continue advocating for families in tragedies like their own.

“We’re loosing over 100,000 people a year to fentanyl alone,” Gus said. “We have to get the educational piece rolling, and we hope to do that through Austin’s Promise.”

Narcan is now available over the counter to rapidly reverse the effects of a fentanyl overdose.

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