Fentanyl a Lethal Enemy to U.S., Let’s Fight It That Way

This op-ed originally appeared on Newsmax on February 21st, 2024.

While a record number of Americans recently gathered to watch the time-honored tradition of the Super Bowl, many tuned in specifically to watch the commercials.

Though normally light-hearted, one memorable ad struck a far more somber note.

A commercial produced by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports featured the heartbreaking story of 19-year-old Paige Gibbons, who tragically died of accidental fentanyl poisoning in November 2022. A freshman in college, Paige was home for the holidays when she and a friend took what was thought to be a Percocet pill but instead ended up being illicit fentanyl. The fatal dose cost Paige her young life.

The ad featuring Paige’s tragic story was apropos, as the lethality of this dangerous narcotic made headlines just weeks before when it was revealed that three Kansas City Chiefs fans who were found dead following a playoff game allegedly had three times the lethal dose of fentanyl in their systems.

Toxicology reports suggest the presence of other drugs as well, but the revelation that fentanyl may have also played a role in their deaths has only reinforced the grim reality that fentanyl continues to persist as one of our Nation’s most lethal adversaries.

What makes fentanyl so dangerous is not just its lethality — the equivalent of a few grains of salt would kill most users...

Read the full op-ed on Newsmax.