Commentary from U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil: Fighting fentanyl in our communities

Illicit fentanyl overdoses are the leading cause of death for individuals aged 18 to 45. It kills more people in this age bracket than car accidents, COVID-19, or heart disease.

In the last year, Kenosha County had 48 fentanyl-related deaths, and Racine County had 68 fentanyl-related deaths. It doesn't have to be this way. If we work together, we can end illicit fentanyl deaths.

Recently, our community has seen a dramatic increase in drug overdose deaths from this illicit substance. In Kenosha County, local police have reported an increase in drug overdoses, most commonly from heroin laced with fentanyl. It is imperative that we are bringing awareness to this issue and stopping the flow of illicit fentanyl from entering our community. This is a top priority of mine.

Since 2019, illicit fentanyl has become dramatically more prevalent across the United States. In a recent 12-month period, 64,000 Americans died from a fentanyl related substance overdose. This illicit substance is not to be confused with fentanyl that can be prescribed at the doctor's office. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, China and Mexico are the primary source countries for creating and trafficking synthetic fentanyl into the United States. Synthetic fentanyl is uniquely dangerous because it takes many different forms — it can be a liquid or a powder. This deadly, illicit substance can be dropped onto paper, put into candies, water bottles, nasal sprays, eye drops, and anything else you can think of. Smugglers can put illicit fentanyl in gas tanks, tires, transmissions, if you can think of it — it has been tried.

The illicit fentanyl coming into our community serves a significant purpose for drug dealers. By adding this synthetic powder into different substances, the drugs become highly addictive. This can help increase a dealer's profit by encouraging users to come back and purchase more. These criminal acts must be stopped.

A lethal dose of fentanyl is just two milligrams. That barely covers Abraham Lincoln's face on a penny. The Drug Enforcement Administration seized 15,000 pounds of illicit fentanyl last year. This is enough to kill every American four times over. Of major concern right now is illicit fentanyl killing first-time users. This synthetic opioid has often been found in commonly used substances like Adderall and marijuana, as well as cocaine and heroin. As a result, the drugs being purchased are becoming more addictive and deadly.

To shine a light on the increase in overdose deaths in our community, I recently held a roundtable discussion in Southeast Wisconsin with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Agency, the Racine County Sheriff, local prosecutors, and local advocates to discuss this ongoing crisis. It was clear from our discussion how devastating illicit fentanyl can be to our communities.

Three key steps to stop illicit fentanyl overdose deaths include securing the southern border, funding local law enforcement, and making fentanyl related substances a permanent Schedule I drug. Doing so would increase penalties and enforcement of illicit fentanyl. This gives law enforcement the tools they need to arrest drug dealers and help keep this illicit substance away from young adults.

We must stop illicit fentanyl from coming into our community. The reality of fentanyl is shocking, particularly as too many victims never know they are even taking it. I will continue to work with partners at the local, state, and federal level to raise awareness of this deadly substance and keep our communities and young adults safe.

Bryan Steil, R-Wis, is the U.S. resresentatives for the First Congressional District.