William D. Hyslop: Illicit fentanyl is a killer we must all address
As a community, we’ve had our share of challenges in 2020 and now in 2021. Here is another one that everyone needs to know about. Potent, deadly, illicit fentanyl has become a major killer of young adults and high school students in the Spokane and Eastern Washington area.
Losing a child to drugs is incredibly tragic and devastating. The emotional trauma families suffer, the perceived stigma of the person’s memory being stained by drugs, and other reasons cause some to not want to talk about it. Others not yet affected by a family member’s or friend’s overdose death may believe this is an issue that only happens to “other people.”
The growing influx of illicit fentanyl, however, is now a community-wide issue. We all need to be aware. We all need to talk about it. Young adults and our youth need to know so they can make responsible healthy choices for their own safety.
As the U.S. Attorney, I assure you all federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement are investigating, and we are prosecuting one fentanyl trafficking case after the other. But this is now bigger than just a law enforcement problem. One law enforcement leader declared recently, “We aren’t going to arrest our way out of this. The greater community must also be involved.”
Fentanyl is a heavily regulated Schedule II narcotic. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. Doctors appropriately use it in microscopic amounts as a pain killer.
Since about 2016, we have seen clandestinely manufactured, illicit fentanyl sold on our streets and associated with fatal overdoses. Produced by Mexican drug cartel labs with no quality control, smuggled into the U.S. and trafficked throughout the country, it is sold alone or in combination with other drugs. Locally, it is most commonly sold as part of counterfeit pills mimicking pharmaceutically produced oxycodone. Made for perhaps $1 per pill, it is sold here for about $30 per pill; the profit margin for the drug trafficker is staggering. A pill laced with only five to seven grains of fentanyl, the size of grains of sugar, can kill a person instantly. With no quality control, one pill may have no effect and the next may kill you instantly.
In 2019, more than 71,000 lives were lost nationally as a result of drug overdoses. Last year’s numbers will be higher and 2021 even higher. Nationally, overdoses kill more annually than auto accident deaths. Approximately 51% of overdose deaths can be attributed to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Over the past three years, the average purity of illicit fentanyl has increased steadily. Furthermore, more than 26% of seized fentanyl tablets examined by DEA’s Special Testing lab contained lethal doses, which is only two milligrams.
What about Eastern Washington? DEA reports that fentanyl seizures statewide were up 44% from 2019 to 2020. Of huge concern, DEA says we have witnessed a 187% increase in illicit fentanyl seizures in Eastern Washington in just the last year. Examples of some Spokane and Eastern Washington pill seizures in 2020 include: 8,000, 53,000, 25,000, 19,000, 7,000 and 15,000. These are just some that can be discussed. We know there are many more illicit fentanyl-laced pills out there that are not found and are sold on our streets.
Federal sentences of convicted fentanyl dealers are appropriately significant. Traffickers should know if they are caught, they will be facing stiff federal sentences for fentanyl-related crimes. Recent examples include: 10 years, 28 years, 15 years, 25 years, 15 years, 17 years and 15.6 years.
What can you do? Be engaged. You are the best person to talk with your children. Ask them questions about what is out there on the streets. Talk about how they can literally kill themselves instantly if they take a fentanyl-laced pill. Help them be ready to turn away from peer pressure to experiment with drugs.
Likewise, talk to your school district and community leaders about sponsoring parent forums, student forums and community discussions about fentanyl and the incredible dangers of this insidious drug. Video presentations are available to use. The DEA, CDC and others have great information available online. Law enforcement and health district personnel will agree to answer questions.
Sadly, these efforts won’t save Gabe, Ross or many students and young adults who are already gone. But their parents will be heartened to know you are helping get the word out to the community. Most important, your efforts will help students and others make healthy decisions with the hope their lives will be saved.
This is my last week serving as the United States Attorney. I plan to continue to work on this problem as a volunteer. I hope you will, too. We owe it to our community.