Credit: The Herald-Mail Media

U.S. Rep. David Trone was recently elected Democratic co-chairman of the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking.

Trone, whose 6th Congressional District includes Washington County, will serve as co-chairman with Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on the commission tasked with developing a strategic approach to combating the flow of synthetic opioids into the United States, according to a news release from Trone’s office.

“As overdoses continue to rise across the country, we’ve got our work cut out for us in the fight against synthetic drug trafficking,” Trone said in the release. “I’m ready to get to work alongside Co-Chair Cotton and our bipartisan team as we develop solutions to crack down on the flow of synthetic drugs and save lives.”

Trone was appointed to the commission, established by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020, by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The 15-member commission includes representatives from the executive and legislative branches.