Drug dealers in North Carolina can now be charged with murder for their role in overdose cases.

The "Death by Distribution" Act was signed into law Monday by Governor Roy Cooper. According to WSOCTV, the law will give prosecutors the power to charge any drug dealer with murder. As the law states, the main purpose is to combat the nation's growing opioid crisis. 

If illegal sales result in the death of the user(s), the drug dealer will be to blame. The number of opioid overdoses and deaths have become part of the political platform of both Democrats and Republicans.

However, the issue is only getting the attention needed because the bulk of victims are white, critics believe. In North Carolina alone, there have been more than 12,000 deaths due to the drugs from 1999 to 2016. About 47,000 Americans died in 2017. 

The state's new law has some drawbacks. The Associated Press noted officials will have a hard time proving malice or foul play.

Critics said that could make convictions hard to obtain. Others also brought up concerns regarding the users themselves. They claim those who experience an overdose may be less likely to call 911, effectively leading to more deaths. 

For anyone wondering about doctors and pharmacists, they will be protected under the law. Those who administer the opioids legally can do so without harm due to a “Good Samaritan” clause written into the law.