Fentanyl overdoses surge nationwide as drug crisis continues
Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel and Families Against Fentanyl founder Jim Rauh joined 'Lawrence Jones Cross Country' to discuss the roots of the drug crisis.
Speaking out on Saturday evening on "Lawrence Jones Cross Country," Jim Rauh — a father who lost his son in 2015 to a single fentanyl-laced pill — revealed the tragedy of his personal loss.
He also shared his perspective and opinion on how to deal with the fentanyl crisis in our country right now, including his desire for fentanyl to be classified as a weapon of mass destruction.
"Fentanyl poisonings are devastating every corner of America," said Rauh. "It's as if there's a jet airliner going down every day."
WHAT IS FENTANYL? HERE'S MORE TO KNOW ABOUT THE DANGEROUS DRUG
Rauh noted there are some 250 deaths per day in America due to this crisis, according to what his organization, Families Against Fentanyl, has discerned by reviewing the facts that have come out of the CDC about the crisis.
Through March 15, 2022, the Montana Highway Patrol seized 12,079 fentanyl pills — more than three times the total for all of 2021.? (Fox News)
He said fentanyl is the number-one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45 — but he believes that demographic is getting wider on both ends of the age spectrum.
His group thinks that those deaths likely extend to even younger teens as well as to older folks, meaning from age 13 to age 50 — yet he said it's been tough to get precise data and information from government agencies regarding this.
CALIFORNIA TEEN'S DEATH FROM FENTANYL UNDERSCORES DANGERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA DRUG MARKETS
He added of fentanyl, "This is an imminent threat to our society and a really great threat to our national security," because of the widespread devastation it's causing, eh said.
"Teenagers take risks," he also said in response to a question about why young people are exposing themselves to such dangers.
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office in California recently made an announcement on Twitter, stating that its office and the Narcotics Task Force recovered 42,000 grams of illicit fentanyl in Oakland and Hayward. (Alameda County Sheriff's Office)
"They're programmed to take risks as they go through [their] growth. One of the risks is partying with their friends and doing crazy things."
He added about fentanyl in this country, "This material is a direct threat to our national security."
"We're offering a solution, not just living with it. We can turn off this supply."
Rauh also referenced the fact that several members of Congress have introduced bills in the House on this point.
"We're offering a solution, not just living with it. We can turn off this supply … It's costing over a trillion dollars a year … and this has the potential to jump into a real weapon of mass destruction."
DEA LAUNCHES ‘NATIONAL FENTANYL AWARENESS DAY’ TO HIGHLIGHT OVERDOSES, DRUG OVERTAKING US
On its website, Families Against Fentanyl explains that "designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction will empower the U.S. to shift from a policy of mass incarceration to an all-of-government approach to cut off the supply chain at its source, effectively stopping the flow of this poison into our country."
Recently seized counterfeit pills are shown here — made of Fentanyl. (DEA)
Dr. Marc Siegel, a Fox News contributor, shared his expertise as well.
He said that the "drug cartels are getting fentanyl from China and from India, putting it together in Mexico and sending it across the border disguised as fake pills" — and that individuals who think they might be taking an Adderal or a Percocet pill wind up getting fentanyl in those drugs when they never counted on that.
Young people are curious about drug experimentation — and then they wind up getting addicted.?
Part of the problem is that they're taking pills that come from unreliable sources, including from "friends" they've met on social media or other places.
The Biden administration says that fixing this serious issue is about "education — but we've got to do a lot more," said Siegel.
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He also said that young people are curious about drug experimentation — and then they wind up getting addicted.
In addition, Dr. Siegel said more mental health professionals are needed in this country to address the crisis that exists in America.
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