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Senator urges committee to urge Congress to designate illicit fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction
Summary
During a first hearing on Senate Concurrent Resolution 1, Senator Johnson urged the committee to support a resolution asking Congress to designate illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, citing potency, fatal‑dose data, and links to international traffickers; no committee vote was taken.
Senator Johnson, sponsoring Senate Concurrent Resolution 1, argued that illicit fentanyl should be treated as a weapon of mass destruction and asked the committee to urge the U.S. Congress to act.
"It is 50 times more potent than heroin ... a 100 times more potent than morphine," Johnson said, and added that "Only 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be a fatal dose," using these figures to justify the resolution's characterization of the substance. He cited national overdose data: "In 2021, over 70,000 Americans lost their lives to fentanyl," and said more than 4,000 of those deaths were Ohioans.
In sponsor testimony, Johnson linked illicit fentanyl distribution to criminal networks and foreign actors, arguing the drug’s potency and distribution channels elevate it beyond a conventional public‑health problem to a national security concern. He referenced federal legislative efforts — including the Stop Our Scourge Act — and urged the Ohio Legislature to encourage reintroduction and passage in Congress.
Committee leaders closed the first hearing on SCR 1 after sponsor remarks and no questions; the committee did not vote on the resolution at this session.
