New report shows that accidental drug overdoses were top cause of death for Pennsylvanians under 40 last year
Casey urging bill to crack down on fentanyl supply chain, from chemical suppliers in China to cartels in Mexico, to be included in annual defense bill
Casey: “We need to crack down on the Chinese producers of synthetic fentanyl and the Mexican cartels that bring it across the border by hitting them where it hurts—their bottom line.”
Washington, D.C. - Amid a new report detailing drug overdose death rates among Pennsylvanians under 40, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is calling for passage of the bipartisan Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act. The bill aims to combat the opioid crisis plaguing Pennsylvania communities by targeting the fentanyl supply chain, from the chemical suppliers in China to the cartels that traffic the drugs from Mexico. By strengthening current law and directing the Treasury Department to target, sanction, and block the financial assets of transnational criminal organizations, the FEND Off Fentanyl Act aims to stop the flow of deadly fentanyl into our Nation by choking off the income source of those who traffic in synthetic opioids.
“In order to combat the opioid epidemic ravaging Pennsylvania communities, we must stop the flow of fentanyl onto our streets,” said Senator Casey. “We need to crack down on the Chinese producers of synthetic fentanyl and the Mexican cartels that bring it across the border by hitting them where it hurts—their bottom line. There’s too much at stake for Pennsylvania communities to not get this done.”
The United States is facing the worst drug crisis in history. Accidental drug overdoses were the number one cause of death for Pennsylvanians under 40, and a total of 5,200 Pennsylvanians died from drug overdoses in 2022. Last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized over 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl enough to supply a lethal dose to every American. Given the sharp increase in fentanyl-caused deaths, it is clear that a staggering amount of fentanyl is making its way into our country from the chemical suppliers in the People’s Republic of China and drug cartels in Mexico.
Led by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Tim Scott (R-SC), the FEND Off Fentanyl Act has strong bipartisan support in the Senate, with 66 Senators cosponsoring the bill. The bill passed the Senate as a part of the annual defense bill in July. As the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate begin the “conference” process to merge their bills, Senator Casey is calling for inclusion of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act.
The FEND Off Fentanyl Act is a sanctions and anti-money laundering bill to help combat the country’s fentanyl crisis by targeting opioid traffickers devastating America’s communities. The bill will enhance current law so U.S. government agencies can more effectively disrupt illicit opioid supply chains and penalize those facilitating the trafficking of fentanyl. The bill also ensures that sanctions are imposed not only on the illicit drug trade, but also on the money laundering that makes it profitable.
Read more about the FEND Off Fentanyl Act is here.
