NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall noted Monday that a bill in honor of a teen that died of fentanyl poisoning is headed to the Senate floor.
"Every day in Kansas, we lose, typically a young adult to fentanyl poisoning," Marshall said. "Most every day we lose somebody from fentanyl poisoning. Every day in the state of Kansas, we're using Narcan 10 or 15 times. As little as one pill can kill. Actually, one half of one pill. Cooper Davis was a wonderful young man with a bright future, he didn't have any addiction problems or anything like that, but he and he and his friends ordered two Percocet tablets online. He took one half of a Percocet tablet and died."
It was later discovered that a drug dealer solicited Mr. Davis through a popular social media platform, Snapchat.
"You can order Adderall, Percocet tablets, antidepressants, all sorts of things online now, very easily," Marshall said. "One third of the deaths of fentanyl are caused because our young adults are ordering fentanyl online. It's easier and cheaper to get a fentanyl tablet from Snapchat than it is to get a pizza delivered to your home. I'm just begging people to talk to their children, making sure that they understand that this is lethal. They can die from just taking one half of a tablet, as well. What our legislation does is, it forces social media companies to cooperate with law enforcement when they see illicit drug trafficking going online."
This is a bill that has support from both sides of the aisle.
"I'm very proud of this bipartisan legislation that passed out of committee 16-5 last week," Marshall said. "Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, the party whip for the Democrats is one of the co-sponsors, along with Jean Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire. I'm very proud of the bill. Hopefully, it will find its way to the President's desk."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published an analysis finding a 182 percent increase in illicit fentanyl overdose deaths among 10 to 19-year olds between 2019 to 2021.
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