Hassan issues statement ahead of National Fentanyl Awareness Day
U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan released the following statement for National Fentanyl Awareness Day on May 10:
“Granite Staters know all too well the devastating effects of the substance misuse epidemic, and as fentanyl continues to harm families and communities, we must keep raising awareness about this deadly substance. We are increasingly seeing fentanyl-laced drugs disguised as prescription drugs, which means that many Americans are unknowingly ingesting fentanyl with dire health consequences. Fentanyl Awareness Day is crucial to keeping people informed about these types of risks, and also to reduce the stigma to seeking help.
“I am heartened that addressing this crisis is not a partisan issue: I’ve worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to crack down on illegal drug trafficking of fentanyl and support those struggling with substance misuses. I will continue to work across the aisle to help communities stay safe in the face of this serious threat.”
Last week, the Senator joined a group of bipartisan colleagues in introducing a Senate resolution designating May 10th, 2022 as National Fentanyl Awareness Day.
Hassan has led efforts to target illicit fentanyl trafficking, and the most recent annual defense bill included Senator Hassan’s bipartisan bill with Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) to hold accountable countries such as China that are facilitating America’s fentanyl-fueled opioid crisis. The Senator recently joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing legislation to implement new penalties for counterfeit pill production. In March, the Senator chaired a field hearing in Manchester to discuss ways to crack down on international drug trafficking and provide more resources to law enforcement to help stop the flow of illegal drugs into communities. Last October, Senator Hassan wrote a letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram calling on the DEA to combat the dangerous rise in of dangerous drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine disguised as prescription drugs. Senator Hassan also worked with her colleagues to pass into law the bipartisan INTERDICT Act, which has provided critical tools to Customs and Border Protection to help detect and intercept fentanyl and other illegal synthetic opioids.