Families Against Fentanyl announced it had surpassed 25,000 signers of its petition asking the United States government to declare illicit fentanyl a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD). They join a who’s who of bipartisan leaders who are calling for the WMD designation.
The milestone was achieved in the aftermath of CDC data released in 2021 projecting that more than 100,000 people died of drug-related causes in the previous calendar year, and following data unearthed by Families Against Fentanyl in December that found illicit fentanyl to be the #1 cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45—data that have been independently verified. The announcement also comes on the heels of three Connecticut middle school students being hospitalized for fentanyl overdose after being exposed at their school. One of those students, a 13-year-old, has died.
Even more alarming: fentanyl’s extreme potency gives it the dark potential to be used by terrorists in a chemical attack on American citizens. Declaring illicit fentanyl a WMD would trigger an all-of-government response to this national threat, activating new resources and manpower to tackle this unprecedented danger.
“Fentanyl deaths doubled in just two years and it’s now the number one cause of death of Americans 18-45. Bold action is needed to reverse this trend,” Families Against Fentanyl founder James Rauh stated. “With more than 25,000 people adding their names to our petition, it’s now crystal clear: Americans are fed up with the status quo. They also see the potential a WMD designation would have to stop this poison from flooding our country and killing our loved ones. Declaring illicit fentanyl a WMD is the innovative answer to this crisis—it would allow us to root out the international manufacturers and traffickers of this poison before it reaches our streets. It would cut the smuggling of illicit fentanyl into the United States, enhance penalties for the cartels trafficking in this poison, and provide new protections to the American people from this threat.
“Almost all illicit fentanyl is manufactured outside of the United States. Designating illegal fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction will empower the U.S. to shift from a policy of mass incarceration of Americans 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. Meanwhile, we can provide compassionate care to those struggling with addiction by investing in harm reduction, expanding access to affordable rehabilitation programs, mental health counseling, and holistic care options.”
The Families Against Fentanyl petition will ultimately be presented to the Biden Administration and the U.S. Congress.
About Families Against Fentanyl
Families Against Fentanyl was founded in 2019 by Akron, Ohio resident James Rauh and his wife Valorie following the untimely death of their son Tom from fentanyl poisoning.
