WHSV: New regulations proposed to address fentanyl crisis

WHSV, MASON WILLETT

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) has introduced a new bill that aims to keep illicit drugs like fentanyl out of American communities.

Spanberger said the DISPOSE Act would facilitate collaboration with partner countries to destroy seized fentanyl precursor chemicals. The bill also is used to establish benchmarks and reporting requirements for the United States and partner countries. Spanberger said this is a must to protect the country.

“Our country must do more to attack the source of the fentanyl crisis and stop the illicit drugs flowing across our southern border from Latin America,” Spanberger said.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, over the last few years, more than 300,000 people have died of drug overdose and fentanyl poisoning. Page County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Joshua Kopp said there have been 62 total narcotics arrests this year, which is just a 2% increase from this time last year.https://e0c818e72579fbdfc72fb42e68bff26c.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html?n=0

“I’ve been in law enforcement 12 years, and it’s pretty much the same issues all 12 years. Historically, we tend to go through longer drug problem areas where long crimes everything go up when drugs go up,” Kopp said.

Kopp said Page County has several ways they look to fight the problem.

“We have the task force, which is responsible for disrupting large organizations bring in larger weights,” Kopp said. “Within the county, we have two drug interdiction deputies that their sole purpose is to go out and stop the flow of drugs within the county.”

There are also other programs within jails to help people get clean and stay clean. Kopp said fentanyl is not the biggest concern in Page County with methamphetamine being a larger problem in the area. He said there are many ways for help preventing substance abuse from organizations around the area through their website.