From the southern border to our backyards, fentanyl and methamphetamine are pouring into the United States in record amounts. These lethal drugs will eventually end up in the hands of American citizens, ruining lives, and shattering families. Fake prescription pills commonly bought and sold illegally are the primary carriers for lethal doses of fentanyl crossing the border. Teens and young adults are participating in this market at increasingly alarming rates.
In 2021, we saw 1.7 million illegal immigrants apprehended at the southern border. Among those entering illegally are smugglers who bring with them the deadly drugs. In 2021, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) seized 9.5 million fake prescription pills, a 430% increase from 2019. Two out of every five of these pills contained a deadly dose of fentanyl, causing the DEA to release its first public safety alert in six years warning Americans about fake pills laced with the drug.
The increase comes as new strains of the drug that are more potent and less detectable, such as furanyl fentanyl, flood into the U.S. and inevitably make their way into our communities. Recently, 1,100 fentanyl pills were confiscated in Alabama’s fouth congressional district around Colbert County, along with prescription medications and methamphetamine.
According to the DEA, fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is far easier to produce and the drug’s potency allows for such small dosage that vast amounts can be moved for huge profits. With just two milligrams being considered a deadly dose, law enforcement seized enough fentanyl at the border in the last year to kill every American.
“They [patients] are not responding to our normal protocol when we try to get someone off of these powerful drugs like in our detox unit,” said Dr. Craig Allen of the Rushford Center in Connecticut. There is no question that drug trafficking across our southern border is a crisis that is leading to overdoses and contributing to the opioid epidemic our country has already been facing for several years.
Securing the border is not just to stop illegal immigration -which is essential- but it’s also critical to stop the smuggling of dangerous drugs that are killing thousands of Americans every year. It’s an issue that demands accountability and strategic action. It’s an issue that should be a priority for both Republicans and Democrats, as the scope of deadly illegal drugs affects us all.
On February 18, 2022, the emergency class-wide temporary order for fentanyl-related substances is set to expire. If the expiration occurs without extending or making permanent the order, then the door is open for new fentanyl-related substances to be developed and smuggled across the border. It is our job in Congress to ensure that this order is extended, and that we continue to do everything we can to help keep these drugs out of our communities.
U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04) is a Republican from Haleyville.
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