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‘Devastated’ details the deadly fentanyl epidemic and calls Coloradans to action
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘Devastated’ details the deadly fentanyl epidemic and calls Coloradans to action

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Overdoses believed to be driven largely by fentanyl-laced prescription drugs are setting records annually. The death count once was similar to the capacity of a high school classroom each week, marking the third largest cause of pediatric deaths behind firearm-related injuries and motor vehicle collisions, a report by UCLA Health reads. It has now grown beyond that analogy. The drug often kills those experimenting with it for the first time, with the Centers for Disease Control finding 86 percent of those adolescents dying of a fentanyl overdose had not previously experienced a drug overdose, according to a report in The Free Press. Introduction of Fentanyl has been especially devastating in Colorado, where the Department of Public Health ...
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Colorado House Democrats kill proposal pushing for tougher approach to fentanyl crisis
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado House Democrats kill proposal pushing for tougher approach to fentanyl crisis

By Thelma Grimes | Colorado Politics Michael Fiore, the outreach coordinator for Voices for Awareness and Project Facing Fentanyl, remembered selling drugs to support his addiction and skating through the system before getting clean — after serving a prison term in New York. Fiori said when people figure out they only need to carry less than 4 grams and all they will face, if caught, is a simple misdemeanor, they will do that. Addicts, he said, do not learn until they are held accountable. “Sympathy causes a disconnect in recovery,” the once 20-year addict told members of the House Judiciary Committee during a late-night hearing on Wednesday. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Enough fentanyl to ‘kill global population — nearly twice over’ seized last year in California
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Approved, National, THE HILL

Enough fentanyl to ‘kill global population — nearly twice over’ seized last year in California

By LAUREN IRWIN | The Hill California seized a record amount of fentanyl in 2023, enough to potentially kill the global population “nearly twice over,” Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Tuesday. Last year, 62,224 pounds of fentanyl was seized in California and at the state’s ports of entry. Since 2021, seizures by the California National Guard increased by 1,066 percent. “Fentanyl is a poison, and it does not belong in our communities,” Newsom said. “California is cracking down – increasing seizures, expanding access to substance abuse treatment, and holding drug traffickers accountable to combat the immeasurable harm opioids have caused our communities.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE HILL
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Fentanyl Is Killing American Kids. Most Don’t Even Know They’re Taking It.
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Approved, National, The Free Press

Fentanyl Is Killing American Kids. Most Don’t Even Know They’re Taking It.

By James Fishback | The Free Press Just over a week ago, Marco Troper, the 19-year-old son of former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, died in his Berkeley dorm room after taking a drug.  “We don’t know what was in it,” his grandmother Esther Wojcicki told local media. “Teenagers and college students need to know that drugs today are not the same as the drugs of yesterday. They’re often laced with fentanyl.” His family are waiting on the results of a toxicology report, which could take up to a month. But if it’s true that Marco lost his life to fentanyl, one thing is clear: he did not die of an overdose.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE FREE PRESS
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Colorado’s growing fentanyl crisis calls for stronger laws and border security
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Approved, State, thelobby-co.com

Colorado’s growing fentanyl crisis calls for stronger laws and border security

By The Lobby The Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Rocky Mountain Field Division has reported an explosion in the seizure of fentanyl pills in 2023, surpassing previous years. This alarming trend demands immediate action to protect Coloradans from the dangers of this deadly drug. The DEA's Rocky Mountain Field Division provided the following breakdown of fentanyl seizures in their region: Colorado: 425.60 kilograms of fentanyl seized, equivalent to approximately 2.61 million pills. Utah: 119.30 kilograms of fentanyl seized, equivalent to approximately 664,200 pills. "Fentanyl continues to be the deadliest drug threat facing our nation," stated David Olesky, Acting Special Agent in Charge for DEA's Rocky Mountain Field Division. Olesky emphasized the collabora...
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New Hampshire voters grill GOP hopefuls on problem they want treated as ‘top’ priority
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Approved, gazette.com, National

New Hampshire voters grill GOP hopefuls on problem they want treated as ‘top’ priority

By Peyton Sorosinski, Washington Examiner | SOURCE: THE GAZETTE As GOP candidates shift their sights to New Hampshire, its residents are demanding more answers to the opioid crisis, which they say is plaguing the prominent swing state. Many New Hampshire voters, such as recovered addict Kristina Amyot, say they are frustrated with how Republican candidates have prioritized border security and law enforcement over treatment and recovery efforts, the Associated Press reported.  “I feel like every four years it gets talked about, and then it gets lost. We don’t really do much with it, and that’s something that needs to change because this should be one of the top priorities,” Amyot told the outlet. “To think that these people don’t care about us is reall...
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