‘One Pill Can Kill’ — The Fentanyl Crisis
DULUTH, Minn – Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa was one of four Minnesota law enforcement officers to appear with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D)
who spoke about the fentanyl crisis. The online event was designed to raise awareness of the increasing dangers of fentanyl. It has been involved in 92 percent of overdose deaths in Minnesota.
Fentanyl is increasingly becoming known as the drug that kills.
Earlier this week President Biden signed into law the “FEND OFF Fentanyl Act.” This will impose economic sanctions on those involved in the international trafficking of Fentanyl and make it easier to go after international companies that are manufacturing or delivering the drug.
Fentanyl is being brought into the United States in huge quantities. The drug has been added to many other narcotics that are sold online and by gangs. Someone taking a pill that was tampered with may not know the pill could be 50 to 100 times more potent than meth or heroin.
The Chief of Police or Duluth, Mike Ceynowa, said “There is a price disparity. We know that our organizations are buying this out of Minneapolis and Chicago or having it drop shipping it to random addresses where they’re buying pills for around a dollar and are able to sell them here for around 16 dollars.”
Senator Klobuchar said that we can all help with this dangerous situation by letting others know of the danger of fentanyl. “We could all do our part to let our kids, grandkids, neighbors, and families know that ‘One Pill Can kill.’ Public Awareness in this area actually saves lives. Kids think they can just get a pill off the internet and they’re safe. They don’t have to tell anyone they’re doing it. They’ve got to know the risks involved in these pills containing fentanyl.”
Fentanyl is a problem nationally and statewide. While many people may believe fentanyl problems exist only in the Twin Cities and other, more urban areas, that’s not the case. Ceynowa says in 2023 there were 19 thousand fentanyl pills seized in Duluth and nearly 50 deaths from drug overdoses just in Duluth.
