DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – State leaders are declaring war on Fentanyl as the number of opioid related deaths continues to rise in Texas, and across the country.
“Fentanyl remains the single deadliest drug threat our state and nation has ever encountered, killing four Texans every day,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “Fentanyl is a clandestine killer, with Mexican drug cartels strategically manufacturing and distributing the drug disguised as painkillers, stimulants, anti-anxiety drugs, and even candy. In the Biden Administration’s negligence to address this national security threat, Texas has designated Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations and is launching a statewide public awareness campaign to fight the fentanyl crisis in our state. I am proud to announce the launch of the State of Texas’ comprehensive ‘One Pill Kills’ campaign to remind Texans that just one pill laced with fentanyl can take someone’s life. Together, we will protect more innocent lives from being lost to this deadly drug.”
Governor Abbott also announced new laws to be considered this upcoming legislative session that would classify fentanyl as a poisoning, allow charging an individual for murder if they distribute fentanyl or drugs laced with fentanyl that kill someone, and make NARCAN more readily available across the state for Texans exposed to fentanyl.
U.S. Senator John Cornyn hosted a roundtable discussion at Children’s Health Specialty Center in Dallas on Monday to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, which is a leading killer of adults between the ages of 18 and 45.
The Senator heard from local parents who have lost a child to fentanyl poisoning and an adolescent patient that is in treatment for fentanyl use. He was also joined by Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and officials from Dallas ISD, the Dallas Police Department, the DEA’s Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, Children’s Health, the Recovery Resource Council, and Phoenix House of Texas.
Senator Cornyn has introduced legislation to address the fentanyl crisis, including his Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Reauthorization Act, which passed the Senate unanimously in June and would provide critical funding for substance abuse disorder programs
According to Governor Abbott, almost 1,700 Texans lost their lives because of fentanyl last year. From February 2021 to February 2022, more than 75,000 Americans died as a result of fentanyl-related overdoses. In the past year, Texas law enforcement alone has seized over 342 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
Copyright 2022. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved.