Families Against Fentanyl founder: 'The US should declare fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction'
Families Against Fentanyl Founder James Rauh described the fentanyl crisis on 'America's Newsroom' as 30 states see deaths from the drug double since 2019
The founder of Families Against Fentanyl is demanding the United States declare the lethal drug a weapon of mass destruction in order to cut off the supply, calling it an "existential threat" to the nation's national security.
James Rauh, who lost his son to a fentanyl overdose years ago, joined "America's Newsroom" Monday to discuss the measures that need to be taken in order to combat the growing crisis.
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"We need to shut off this material at its source, and a WMD designation would be an all-of-government response in order to shut off the supply of the precursors and the fentanyl coming into the United States," Rauh told co-host Dana Perino.
"It'll give us tools that we're not using, and it would be a very effective means to end this terrible devastation that's happening to our young adults and to our country as a whole. This material is an existential threat to our national security," he continued.
His remarks came as government data indicates fentanyl overdose deaths doubled in 30 states across the country between 2019 and 2021.
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Furthermore, Alaska, Colorado, Louisiana Mississippi, California and Texas saw their numbers skyrocket, quintupling over the same time period.
Rauh recounted the death of his son, who fell victim to a lethal quantity of acetyl fentanyl back in 2015.
"He didn't have a chance. It was a dose that would have killed hundreds of people, was sent over by Chinese nationals through the mail," Rauh said. "The Chinese are supplying the precursors to Mexico, and Mexico, shipping this in unbelievable quantities."
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He reiterated the need to address the growing threat, as families nationwide are impacted by the lethal drug.
"The quantities are so alarming that it's indicative of stockpiling," he continued. "Their fentanyl deaths have doubled and the whole nation just about in two years, which is a terrible sign…This is a poisoning of our children, our families."
According to data provided by Families Against Fentanyl, fentanyl overdoses are now the leading cause of death for adults between the ages of 18 and 25.