Through the introduction last week of the Stop Our Scourge Act of 2022, H.R. 9162, U.S. Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and Tony Gonzales (R-TX) sought to chart a new course for illicit fentanyl, designating the drug as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) on par with nuclear and chemical weapons.
“Current policies to counter the proliferation of illicit fentanyl have proven woefully inadequate to protect the nation,” Wenstrup said. “As a physician, a lawmaker, and a soldier, I believe it is time we declare illicit fentanyl what it is: a weapon of mass destruction that is destroying the lives of our young people and killing Americans across the country in record numbers.”
For Wenstrup’s part, he encouraged working with Mexico to shut down trafficking and transport, but also urged a clampdown on China for the manufacture and production of chemical precursors used to make the drug. The legislation itself would change the designation of fentanyl and require the head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to conduct an assessment of trafficking: how federal efforts could be improved, the Mexican military’s capacity to hunt down illicit fentanyl and the Chinese government’s willingness and capacity to halt the fentanyl supply chain and go after traffickers.
Federal agents have in the last three years reported a 4,000 percent increase in fentanyl seizures. This year alone, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reportedly seized 12,900 pounds of fentanyl. In this same timeframe, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that fentanyl has become the top cause of death for Americans between ages 18 and 45.
“Fentanyl is killing Americans at record high levels and is a risk to every American — regardless of age, sex, or political party,” Gonzales said. “I am proud to introduce this critical legislation alongside Congressman Wenstrup to ensure we have all the facts to tackle the fentanyl crisis that is plaguing our nation.”