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Last year, over 100,000 people in the United States died from a drug overdose, largely driven by the rampant spread of illicit fentanyl. In Washington state, drug overdoses have been increasing at shocking rates in the past few years, and communities across Central Washington have been devastated by the fentanyl crisis, which is now the leading cause of death for people ages 18-45. The hard truth is, no corner of our communities has been left untouched by this growing crisis. We need to classify all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs and secure our nation’s borders to fight this crisis.

From the many conversations I’ve had with law enforcement officers, health care experts, and addiction treatment centers, one thing is abundantly clear: we do not have the necessary resources to fight the opioid epidemic.

Mexican drug cartels and bad actors in China have been taking advantage of loopholes in our laws in the United States to push these dangerous substances over our borders. A lethal dose of fentanyl is 2 mg, the equivalent to only 5 grains of sand. As law enforcement officers and health care officials say, it only takes one pill to kill. So, what can be done about this worsening crisis?

As difficult it is to believe, fentanyl-related substances are only temporarily classified as Schedule I drugs, meaning once this temporary classification expires, these drugs could essentially become street legal. Congress cannot continue to temporarily schedule fentanyl; it is time for a permanent solution to hold criminals accountable and prevent this deadly substance from reaching our communities. Just last week, I re-introduced the Save Americans from the Fentanyl Emergency (SAFE) Act. This crucial piece of legislation permanently schedules all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs to ensure our law enforcement can prosecute the use and sale of these substances. The SAFE Act also eliminates any incentive for criminals to develop new variations of fentanyl analogues to try and evade law enforcement, protecting our communities for decades to come.

In addition to taking legislative action, we must ensure our border patrol agents have the tools and funding they need to secure our borders and stop fentanyl from pouring into our country. The Biden Administration must be held responsible for its reckless open-border policies and rhetoric that is directly causing drug and humanitarian crises in our nation. By securing our southern border and properly funding our border patrol agents, we can prevent these deadly drugs from ever entering our communities in the first place.

We also need to make sure those struggling with addiction get the care they need, and addiction treatment facilities have the necessary resources to help. Just last week, I visited an opioid addiction treatment center in Kennewick that sees approximately 100 patients per day. Programs like this one help save lives, and we must ensure they have the necessary resources to continue their great work to help those in need.

I encourage families in Central Washington to stay on alert and do all we can to keep our children safe from this epidemic. This deadly drug has no limits, and we all must do our part in remaining vigilant and safeguarding our communities.

It’s past time for significant action to be taken to curb the fentanyl crisis facing our nation. I will continue to be a leader in the fight against the fentanyl crisis by ensuring our law enforcement officers and public health officials on the frontlines have the resources they need and being a voice for the families who have had to deal with the consequences of this horrific drug.