Trending
In his latest campaign stop to this area, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, discussed legislation he co-sponsored to punish foreign makers and distributors of fentanyl.
"Everyone in our state has been affected by this," Brown said Friday while speaking with city officials and area law enforcement officers inside the municipal courtroom.
Brown, who is in the middle of a tight battle for re-election with Republican Bernie Moreno, added about 300 Ohioans die from fentanyl poisoning each month.
He said most fentanyl is smuggled into the U.S., with manufacturers in China and drug cartels in Mexico being common origin points, and to fight the spread of the highly addictive drug, "We knew we had to go to the source, where the money is."
Brown noted he and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., introduced the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (F.E.N.D.) Off Fentanyl Act, which allows the Treasury Department to freeze the assets of international entities involved in buying and selling the drug or laundering money from such operations.
The legislation was signed into law by President Joe Biden in April.
Brown said such measures make dissemination of the opioid unprofitable for suppliers, whose sole motivation is making money.
Under the law, property seized through prosecution against fentanyl suppliers could be applied to future investigations by law enforcement.
"We worked every angle to get this passed," said Brown.
Brown said he's also worked with other lawmakers to introduce other legislation, which would provide funds for law enforcement officers and border and customs agents to obtain equipment for the safe detection and disposal of the drug.
Asked about treatment programs for those who are addicted, Brown noted he and retired Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, in 2018 introduced legislation allowing federal Medicaid funds to be used for addiction treatment in residential facilities.
Praise for Brown's efforts was voiced by Municipal Court Judge John Mascio Jr., who said in his 10 years on the bench, he's seen the effects of opioid addiction on the community.
"I always get really emotional when I talk about it, but it was terrible," said Mascio, who added many lives were lost as a result of it. "We knew it wasn't a problem we could jail our way out of," he said.
Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla Jr. said drug addiction and mental health are the community's two biggest problems.
He noted his department is part of regional and countywide entities formed to curb the illegal sale of drugs and related crimes and said legislation introduced by Brown has helped them to do that.
"Brown has built trust by listening to law enforcement officers like me," said Abdalla.
"He's putting people over politics. He goes to Washington, but he's crafting legislation that's going to have a grassroots impact here," he said.
The sheriff said not everyone is aware they are consuming fentanyl as other drugs have been laced with it.
He said every home should have a Narcan kit, used to revive individuals suffering from an opioid overdose, because he has been in places where that would have saved a life.
Abdalla added he's visited families who never expected one of their members would become addicted.
"Sometimes, people don't understand how big the problem is until it's on their doorstep," he said.
Mayor Jerry Barilla said he's been saddened by the large number of teens who have been killed by the drug on a national level.
The Ohio Department of Health has reported the number of fentanyl-related deaths in the state increased from 84 in 2013 to 3,963 in 2022.
Brown said that number has dropped about 25 percent, and he's confident his legislative efforts with others have helped.
He acknowledged addiction will never be eradicated but said he's optimistic it can be greatly reduced.
"I think we have a long way to go, but we're making a difference," said Brown.
Asked about measures to tighten security at the southern border, he said, "We've got to close the border better than we have. Presidents of both parties have failed to do that."
Brown said bipartisan legislation introduced this year with that goal that failed would have helped.
"There are people who want to gain politically from the border issue. I just want to get it done," he said.