WASHINGTON, DC, Dec 26 — Drug addiction has been on the rise in the U.S. since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic. Yet a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center shows that Americans rank drug addiction at the bottom of a list of 18 priorities. In the meantime, deaths due to substance abuse are on a startling rise largely due to the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, says the Psychiatric Times.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration [DEA] reports that its agents have seized more than 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl thus far this year. DEA administrator Anne Milgram says it’s enough to kill every person in America. She says, “In 2022, DEA seized more than double the amount of fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills that it seized in 2021. DEA also seized nearly 131,000 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 4,300 pounds of heroin, and over 444,000 pounds of cocaine.”
It’s no coincidence the fentanyl crisis is happening on President Biden’s watch; it is due to his come-one-come-all open border guidelines, which quickly became a crisis of its own. As Republicans on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce put it, because of “the crisis at our southern border—every state is now a border state. Energy and Commerce Republicans are committed to securing the border and stopping the scourge of fentanyl in communities across America. That’s why we’re leading on the HALT Fentanyl Act to permanently give law enforcement the tools they need to keep fentanyl off our streets. In the new Congress, Energy and Commerce Republicans will work to hold President Biden and his administration accountable for their failures to address the ongoing crisis at the border. We cannot allow the lawlessness and tragedy to continue to tear apart our communities.”
Fentanyl is the leading cause of death among young adults between the ages of 18 and 45, according to an ABC News report. But the National Center for Health Statistics reports deaths among seniors 65 and older more than tripled thus far into the 21st century. CNBC cites Professor Alexis Kuerbis, at the Silberman School of Social Work, who says that “We’ve got a public health problem coming at our door — these trends have been increasing for a long time now … Baby boomers obviously are a very different generation than the silent generation or the World War II generation. Baby boomers were far more open to using alcohol and drugs during their younger years but also through their middle-aged years and now they are older adults.”
Although overdose rates among seniors is not as high as they are for younger age groups, she points out that the death rate among the 65-plus population increased markedly over the past two decades from 2.4 per 100,000 in the year 2000 to 8.8 per 100,000 in 2020.
Last week correspondent Sarah Arnold penned a piece for Townhall, noting that President Biden has yet to see for himself what a mess he made at the Mexican border when he became president and opened the doors allowing millions of illegal migrants. He’s yet not made a visit to the border to see for himself what’s going on. It’s no secret that many illegals smuggle drugs, including massive amounts of fentanyl, into the country. The president is fully aware of the damage he’s done and continuing to do. She cites a new book “The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden’s White House,” by author Chris Whipple. It reveals that Mr. Biden is “fully aware of the havoc he has caused on the border” and that he’s so frustrated he uses only “the F-word when discussing the border.”
Mr. Biden claims to have a “six-point plan in place to combat the issue.” Politico reports that “the plan focuses on ‘surging resources’ — adding personnel, transportation, medical support and facilities to support border officials. But DHS [Department of Homeland Security] warned preparations are being done “within the constraints of a decades-old immigration system that everyone agrees is broken.”
As Oliver Hardy said to Stan Laurel, “this is a fine mess you’ve gotten us into.”
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