Congressman Tim Ryan Introduces Legislation to Recognize Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13) introduced a Congressional Resolution to designate illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD). 

“The fentanyl crisis is killing our kids and devastating our communities. There is not a corner of Ohio that has not been affected by this epidemic in some way,” said Congressman Ryan. “We cannot look away as this crisis worsens. It’s time we take a whole-of-government approach to fight it. That means using every resource we have at our disposal to get this off the streets and out of our neighborhoods.”

“Congressman Ryan deserves praise for recognizing the devastating impact illicit fentanyl is having on our country and taking bold, unprecedented action to address it,” Families Against Fentanyl founder James Rauh said. “WMD designation would unleash unused and under-used federal resources to cut off illicit fentanyl at its source. We urge members of the House to join Congressman Ryan as co-sponsors of this Resolution, and implore the Biden Administration to give this poison the Weapon of Mass Destruction label it deserves.”

The Resolution identifies illicit fentanyl and its various forms, such as carfentanil, as sources of mass destruction in chemical attacks given the drug’s high toxicity, potency, and availability. Declaring illicit fentanyl as a WMD would initiate an whole-of-government response to this national threat, allowing new resources and manpower to help tackle this danger.

Illicit fentanyl is now the number one cause of death among Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. Last year, an estimated 71,000 Americans died of fentanyl poisoning – an increase from over 57,000 in 2020. In Ohio, fentanyl was involved in over 80 percent of overdose deaths in 2020.

Ryan has been a leading voice in Congress in the fight to end the fentanyl crisis. In January, Ryan delivered a fiery speech on the House floor slamming China and the Sackler family for their role in the opioid and subsequent fentanyl epidemic. That speech is available for download here. 

And recently, Ryan hosted a Congressional briefing on the changing landscape and new challenges of the opioid epidemic, including the sharp rise of fentanyl-related overdose deaths across the United States. Read more about this briefing here

Full text of Congressman Ryan’s resolution can be found here.