State Senator Matt Dolan Co-Sponsors Resolution to Urge the Federal Government to Protect Borders to Combat Fentanyl Crisis and Human Trafficking
February 8, 2022
Matt Dolan News
COLUMBUS—State Senator Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls) today announced that he is co-sponsoring Senate Resolution 243, introduced by Senators Jerry Cirino and Theresa Gavarone, to urge the federal government to protect national borders to combat the fentanyl crisis and stop human trafficking.
“The federal government is failing to protect our Southern Border, effectively making every state, including Ohio, a border state. We are witnessing record-breaking lawlessness, drug seizures, arrests and apprehensions on our Southern Border. As a result, Ohio has seen an increase in opioid related deaths with increased amounts of fentanyl coming into our state. I’m co-sponsoring this commonsense yet important resolution because it is critical that the federal government do an about-face, effectively re-implement ‘Remain in Mexico’ in word and deed, restart construction of the Border Wall and return to making security a priority as it was under the Trump Administration,” said State Senator Matt Dolan.
Background:
In fiscal year 2021, United States Customs and Border Protection seized more than 319,000 pounds of marijuana, 190,000 pounds of methamphetamine, 97,000 pounds of cocaine, 11,000 pounds of fentanyl, and 5,400 pounds of heroin at our borders. In 2021, the CDC projected that Ohio hit 5,215 drug deaths, fourth in the U.S. – breaking the record of 4,854 set in 2017.
In 2020, illicit fentanyl or fentanyl analogs contributed to 81% of overdose deaths in Ohio, while deaths related to fentanyl increased 32%. In the same year, Ohio hit a record death rate from opioid overdoses in the previous 10-year period. Drugs brought into the United States end up in Ohio and have tragically taken the lives of thousands of Ohioans. Last year, the Ohio Governor’s Office assigned over 100 members of the Ohio National Guard to support United States Customs and Border Protection. This was in addition to the assignment of troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol to travel to Texas at the request of the State of Texas.
“The federal government is failing to protect our Southern Border, effectively making every state, including Ohio, a border state. We are witnessing record-breaking lawlessness, drug seizures, arrests and apprehensions on our Southern Border. As a result, Ohio has seen an increase in opioid related deaths with increased amounts of fentanyl coming into our state. I’m co-sponsoring this commonsense yet important resolution because it is critical that the federal government do an about-face, effectively re-implement ‘Remain in Mexico’ in word and deed, restart construction of the Border Wall and return to making security a priority as it was under the Trump Administration,” said State Senator Matt Dolan.
Background:
In fiscal year 2021, United States Customs and Border Protection seized more than 319,000 pounds of marijuana, 190,000 pounds of methamphetamine, 97,000 pounds of cocaine, 11,000 pounds of fentanyl, and 5,400 pounds of heroin at our borders. In 2021, the CDC projected that Ohio hit 5,215 drug deaths, fourth in the U.S. – breaking the record of 4,854 set in 2017.
In 2020, illicit fentanyl or fentanyl analogs contributed to 81% of overdose deaths in Ohio, while deaths related to fentanyl increased 32%. In the same year, Ohio hit a record death rate from opioid overdoses in the previous 10-year period. Drugs brought into the United States end up in Ohio and have tragically taken the lives of thousands of Ohioans. Last year, the Ohio Governor’s Office assigned over 100 members of the Ohio National Guard to support United States Customs and Border Protection. This was in addition to the assignment of troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol to travel to Texas at the request of the State of Texas.