Credit: The Garrett County Republican

WASHINGTON — U.S. Reps. David Trone, D-Md., and Michael McCaul, R-Texas, along with Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, introduced the Fighting Emerging Narcotics Through Additional Nations to Yield Lasting Results Act to increase global cooperation in the fight against synthetic drug trafficking.

The FENTANYL Results Act, introduced Monday, would authorize two programs through the State Department that would build foreign law enforcement capacity to detect synthetic drugs and carry out an international exchange program for drug demand reduction experts.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released preliminary data showing a dramatic increase in overdose deaths from 2018 to 2019, which highlighted that synthetic drugs led to the greatest year over year increase in overdose deaths.

“My nephew, Ian Trone, died of a fentanyl overdose at the age of 24 alone in a hotel room, and since his passing, we’ve seen a dramatic and alarming increase in fentanyl and other synthetic opioid deaths across this country,” said Trone, a member of the Commission to Combat Synthetic Opioid Trafficking and founder of the Freshmen Working Group on Addiction. “We need to tackle the opioid crisis from every angle, and that includes working with international partners to curb drug trafficking and save lives. I’m honored to work with Ranking Member Michael McCaul, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, and Sen. Rob Portman on this bill that will direct new efforts within the State Department to ensure we are taking every possible step to end the flow of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs into the United States.”

“Fentanyl continues to fuel the overdose crisis in New Hampshire and take lives from every community in our state,” said Shaheen. “Preventing fentanyl from reaching our borders must be a key component of our national strategy to combatting the opioid epidemic. Our legislation enhances our cooperative efforts with key nations to clamp down on drug trafficking through upending supply chains. Stopping the flow of drugs into our communities is a mammoth task and we must continue to make every effort at the federal level to save lives from insidious synthetic drugs like fentanyl.”

“I’m proud to join my colleagues Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Representatives Michael McCaul and David Trone on this bipartisan, bicameral bill that will continue our work to reduce the devastating effects of synthetic opioid drug production like fentanyl,” said Portman. “This legislation will strengthen State Department data collection on synthetic drug production while increasing international law enforcement capacity. This important effort will help us save lives and mitigate the devastating effects of deadly synthetic opioids, which have impacted families and communities across Ohio and our country. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this important legislation and will continue to do everything I can to stop these deadly substances from destroying lives both in America and around the world.”