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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey was in Luzerne County on Friday to talk about legislation he has proposed to stop the lethal drug fentanyl from entering the country.</p><p>Toomey said he came here to talk about the Blocking Deadly Fentanyl Imports Act because Luzerne County has a serious problem with opioid/drug overdoses.</p><p>Toomey, R-Lehigh Valley, discussed his bipartisan legislation that would hold countries accountable for &#8220;turning a blind eye to drug kingpins&#8221; who attempt to export deadly fentanyl to the U.S.</p><p>Toomey was joined by Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis and Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George and other officials in the rotunda of the Luzerne County Courthouse.</p><p>&#8220;Illicit fentanyl from outside our borders has already prematurely ended far too many American lives,&#8221; Toomey said. &#8220;As fentanyl can be fifty times as potent as heroin, even small, difficult to detect amounts can be lethal, which is why it&#8217;s important to stop this problem at its source. This bipartisan legislation is a commonsense update to existing law that will hold the nations producing illicit fentanyl accountable, whether it be China or wherever the threat emerges next.&#8221;</p><p>The Blocking Deadly Fentanyl Imports Act would make American foreign aid contingent upon a recipient country cooperating with U.S. drug enforcement efforts relating to fentanyl. Under this measure, a fentanyl-producing nation, such as China, would be ineligible for other U.S. taxpayer-subsidized aid if it fails to cooperate with U.S. efforts to stop the importation of fentanyl.</p><p><strong>Deadly statistics</strong></p><p>&#8226; Salavantis said since 2016, there have been 842.94 grams of fentanyl seized by the Luzerne County Drug Task Force.</p><p>&#8226; In that same time period, the district attorney said 2,412.11 grams of drugs mixed with fentanyl were seized.</p><p>&#8226; Toomey said fentanyl is a powerful and deadly synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine, but 50 to 100 times more potent &#8212; up to 50 times more powerful than heroin.</p><p>&#8226; According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29,418 Americans died from overdoses involving fentanyl in 2017 &#8212; an increase of 840 percent in just five years.</p><p>&#8226; According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, fentanyl was present in 67 percent of the 5,456 drug overdoses in Pennsylvania in 2017.</p><p>&#8226; According to the Virginia Department of Health, fentanyl caused or contributed to over 50 percent of fatal overdoses in 2017.</p><p>&#8226; Salavantis said there were 162 opioid-related deaths in 2017, 169 in 2018, and 17 so far in 2019.</p><p>&#8220;Luzerne County has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic,&#8221; Salavantis said.</p><p>Toomey told of a recent seizure at the Port of Philadelphia netted 110 pounds of fentanyl valued at $1.7 billion.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s enough to kill every man, woman and child in Pennsylvania &#8212; twice,&#8221; Toomey said, noting that the shipment originated in China, where he said much of the illicit fentanyl here originates.</p><p>Toomey said the legislation has not received any push-back and he is hopeful to get it through Congress this year.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">With Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis, left, and Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George, right, looking on, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey talks about his proposed legislation to address the fentanyl problem in the U.S. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_TTL030319Toomey3-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>With Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis, left, and Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George, right, looking on, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey talks about his proposed legislation to address the fentanyl problem in the U.S. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_TTL030319Toomey1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey speaks during a news conference Friday at the Luzerne County Courthouse. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_TTL030319Toomey1-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey speaks during a news conference Friday at the Luzerne County Courthouse. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_TTL030319Toomey2-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey discusses his proposed legislation to address the fentanyl problem in the U.S. during a news conference at the Luzerne County Courthouse Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_TTL030319Toomey2-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey discusses his proposed legislation to address the fentanyl problem in the U.S. during a news conference at the Luzerne County Courthouse Friday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Toomey legislation aimed at stopping fentanyl from entering the U.S.