Fentanyl is now the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States, and Florida is not spared. In Hillsborough County, fentanyl-related deaths have increased year over year. In Manatee County, first responders carry naloxone as standard equipment because overdose calls have become routine. This is not a problem at the margins of society — it is touching families in every zip code of District 16.
Fentanyl is primarily manufactured in China and Mexico and smuggled across the U.S. southern border, often hidden in vehicles or carried by individuals who cross legally at ports of entry. A lethal dose is the size of a few grains of salt, making it extraordinarily difficult to detect and extraordinarily easy to smuggle in mass quantities.
What Congress Has — and Has Not — Done
Congress has passed several measures to address fentanyl, including provisions that fund DEA interdiction operations. But the legislative response has not matched the scale of the crisis. Ports of entry remain under-resourced for the chemical screening technology needed to catch fentanyl in vehicles and cargo. Sanctions on Chinese chemical companies that supply fentanyl precursors have been inconsistently enforced. And funding for community-level addiction treatment programs has not kept pace with demand in counties like Hillsborough and Manatee.
A Comprehensive Strategy That Addresses Supply and Demand
John Peters believes the fentanyl crisis requires action on both ends: shutting down the supply and treating the addiction.
On the supply side:
- Fully deploy advanced chemical detection technology at all ports of entry
- Strengthen international pressure on China to enforce precursor chemical controls
- Enhanced penalties for fentanyl trafficking with mandatory minimum sentences
- Give law enforcement the resources to dismantle trafficking networks operating through Florida
On the demand side:
- Expand access to addiction treatment in underserved communities
- Fund recovery support programs that help people rebuild their lives after addiction
- Enforce federal mental health parity laws so insurance companies cannot deny coverage for addiction treatment
There is no family in this district that has not been touched by addiction — whether directly or through a neighbor, coworker, or church member. John Peters will go to Washington and fight for the resources and policy changes needed to stop fentanyl from destroying more Florida families.