LAKE STEVENS, Wash. - The Washington State Legislative Session starts on January 8th, and one of the proposals pre-filed for 2024 would increase the penalties for smoking fentanyl or methamphetamines in public.

This has become an issue, particularly in the Seattle area where transit operators have raised concerns about the potential for second-hand drug smoke on board buses and light rail. The University of Washington looked into the concerns, and found that there was fentanyl contamination on board almost all transit vehicles they tested. The researchers said it likely wasn't enough to cause a problem for passengers, but it was not clear whether transit operators would be impacted, since they are potentially exposed to the contamination for longer periods of time.