By Greg Jordan
The Register-Herald
BECKLEY — A substance so lethal that around 50 pounds of it could kill West Virginia’s population seven times over is now listed along with nuclear, biological and chemical weapons as a weapon of mass destruction.
This week, President Donald Trump declared that the controlled substance fentanyl is now classified as a weapon of mass destruction.
Raleigh County Commission President Greg Duckworth, who was recently elected the West Virginia First Foundation’s chairman of the board, spoke about the president’s declaration. The West Virginia First Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization which was founded for receiving and distributing opioid funds. These funds were generated from the state’s lawsuits against drug manufacturers that distributed the large amounts of opioids fueling an addiction epidemic and numerous overdoses.
“We understand the ravages of addiction and the devastation fentanyl continues to inflict on families and communities,” Duckworth said Tuesday. “We applaud the boots-on-the-ground prevention, treatment and recovery professionals working tirelessly to combat this crisis and save lives.”
Last October, 54 pounds of fentanyl was seized in Mercer County during one of the largest fentanyl drug busts in West Virginia’s history. This 54 pounds of the drug was enough to kill 12 million people, around seven times West Virginia’s population. The fentanyl’s estimated street value was $825,000.
Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney Brian K. Cochran thanked the president Tuesday for declaring fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction.
“His action will be a great help in our effort to eliminate the deaths and other harm this drug has caused throughout not only Mercer County, but also West Virginia and the nation as a whole,” Cochran said. “I am also grateful to Governor Morrisey and the West Virginia Legislature’s efforts in supporting the president’s decision, also their support of increased penalties for those convicted of distributing fentanyl. It’s been a huge problem here and our police officers are working hard to help prevent the illegal spread of this and other deadly substances.”
Cochran said that families need to warn children about fentanyl’s dangers.
“This stuff is scary and is often being mixed with other substances, so parents really need to consistently warn their kids that in today’s world, trying something even once could very well result in their death,” he said.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued a statement late Monday after the president made his declaration.
“I want to thank President Trump for taking this decisive action to confront the fentanyl crisis and treat it with the seriousness it demands,” Morrisey said. “This is something I called for immediately upon taking office as governor, and it is an issue I aggressively pursued as Attorney General long before that. “West Virginia has been on the front lines of the fentanyl epidemic. As Attorney General, I was one of the most vocal leaders in the country, urging federal action, filing briefs, sending letters, and pushing for fentanyl to be treated as the weapon it is. Those efforts included building partnerships and laying the groundwork that helped drive down overdose deaths.”
The president’s action validates the argument that fentanyl is a nation security threat and more than a drug problem, the governor said.
“I appreciate the president acting on this call, and West Virginia will continue leading the fight to protect our communities, hold traffickers accountable, and save lives,” Morrisey said.
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