WEEKLY VIDEO RELEASE: FLATHEAD COUNTY SHERIFF SHARES IMPACT OF FENTANYL ON COMMUNITY

Press Release

As fentanyl continues to devastate Montana communities, U.S. Senator Steve Daines released the final video in a series highlighting Montanans affected by the fentanyl crisis. Each week, Daines highlighted a video on his social media channels of a Montanan talking about how President Biden's failure to secure the southern border and stop the flow of fentanyl into Montana communities affects them personally.

This week, Senator Daines is highlighting the story of Sheriff Heino of Flathead County. He shares the devastating impact that fentanyl is having on our communities. Sheriff Heino also shares three steps to ending the fentanyl crisis, including securing our southern border.

"Enough is enough. The fentanyl crisis is out of control and it's not lost on me how Joe Biden's failure at the southern border puts our law enforcement in danger," said Daines. "We must give our local law enforcement all available resources to stop the flow of fentanyl in our communities in its tracks."

Background:

Since President Biden took office, more than 35,000 pounds of fentanyl have been seized at the southern border. Drug overdoses, largely driven by fentanyl, are now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45.

According to Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, anti-drug task forces in Montana seized twice as much fentanyl in the first three quarters of 2022 than they did in the last four years combined. Last year, Montana's state crime lab also saw that fatal overdoses linked to fentanyl were up more than 1,100% since 2017.

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