Kansas City, KS – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. hosted a fentanyl crisis roundtable today in Kansas City to hear directly from federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, as well as area health care providers about the impact illegal fentanyl is having in Wyandotte County.
Fentanyl poisoning kills a Kansan everyday and is now the number one cause of death nationwide among adults 18-49.
“Fentanyl is killing a Kansan every single day.” Senator Marshall said. “Our children do not know what they’re up against, and we do not have time to waste. Those who joined me at today’s roundtable are on the frontlines of this crisis, fighting against this lethal epidemic every day. To win this battle, it is going to take an all-hands-on-deck approach. Solution-based discussions like today’s roundtable are an important step to address the fentanyl crisis head-on.”
Joining today’s event were representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of National Drug Control Policy, U.S. Marshals Service, Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office, Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office, Wyandotte County Unified Government Public Health Department, Kansas City Kansas Police Department, Kansas City Kansas Public School District, Libby Davis Mother of Cooper Davis, University of Kansas Medical Center, Wyandotte Behavioral Health Network, Vibrant Health KC and University of Kansas Health System’s Strawberry Hill Campus.
Background:
Last week, the HALT Fentanyl Act – legislation Senator Marshall co-authored in the U.S. Senate – passed the U.S. House of Representatives.
Senator Marshall is also the lead sponsor of the Cooper Davis Act, a piece of legislation that holds social media companies accountable for users dealing fentanyl and other drugs on their platforms. The bill is named after Cooper Davis, a 16-year old Kansan who died from fentanyl poisoning from a counterfeit Percocet tablet he purchased on Snapchat.