Last year, while many people were focused on the pandemic, the United States experienced another crisis. Our nation recorded the most overdose deaths in its history, most of which were caused by a drug called fentanyl. In fact, every 8.57 minutes, a U.S. citizen dies from an accidental overdose fueled by fentanyl. The drug is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45 — killing more young adults than car crashes, suicides, and COVID-19.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that’s 50-100 times stronger than morphine. The drug was initially developed to help cancer patients cope with increased pain but was quickly diverted into a cheaper and more powerful alternative to heroin by Mexican criminal organizations — mainly the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels. Fentanyl precursors are produced in laboratories throughout China and Mexico, laced into other drugs such as marijuana, Adderall, and Xanax, and then trafficked into the U.S. through our wide-open southern border.
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