The Functional Government Initiative recently announced transparency litigation against the Department of Homeland Security for failing to release records regarding the implementation of anti-fentanyl legislation.
In 2018, the bipartisan Synthetics Trafficking Overdose Prevention Act was signed into law to reduce the flow of opioids and other illegal drugs into the United States through the U.S. Postal Service, according to a news release. Since then, implementation seems to have stalled. This has caused questions to be raised about the commitment of the DHS to prioritize the fight against fentanyl trafficking as the opioid crisis keeps getting worse.
“The inability of DHS to finalize regulations and fully implement a bill that would help stop the flow of illegal opioids into the United States is astonishing and frankly disappointing,” spokesman for Functional Government Initiative Peter McGinnis said in a statement, according to the release. “With each passing day, more and more Americans lose their battle with addiction while Secretary Mayorkas and his senior leadership prioritize the open border and censorship of Americans. This is the epitome of dysfunctional government. The public deserves answers on why implementation of the STOP Act is not a priority and when we can expect them to start recognizing the importance of fighting the opioid crisis.”
Elected officials from both sides of the aisle have called the opioid crisis a public health emergency, but the DHS has taken little action to follow through with the law that’s supposed to fight it, the release reported. It is also thought the southern border policy may be part of the opioid crisis as well.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported overdoses nationwide reached record-breaking levels in 2021, nearing 108,000 total overdose deaths, out of which more than 71,000 were fentanyl-related.
According to the CDC, fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. There are two kinds of fentanyl, pharmaceutical fentanyl and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, and both contribute to overdose deaths. However, most recent cases of fentanyl deaths are from illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths, and more than 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
