Murkowski, Sullivan reintroduce Bruce’s Law in effort to combat fentanyl crisis

Last week, Senator Lisa Murkowski, along with Senator Dianne Feinstein reintroduced Bruce’s Law to bolster federal prevention and education efforts surrounding fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that is increasingly being incorporated into illicit street drugs.

“The fentanyl crisis continues to intensify, with alarming increases in the number of poisonings and deaths in Alaska and across the country—particularly among unsuspecting young people. Those deaths cause heartbreak and devastation for families and communities, but many could be prevented through better education and awareness,” Senator Murkowski said.

The measure is named after an Alaskan, Robert “Bruce” Snodgrass, who tragically passed away in 2021 at the age of 22 from fentanyl poisoning.

Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan is an original co-sponsor of the legislation, along with Senators, Maggie Hassan, and Tammy Baldwin.

“The tidal wave of fentanyl, made in China and transported through our porous southern border, is poisoning our kids,” said Senator Sullivan.

“The tragic loss of Bruce Snodgrass demonstrates that no community is beyond the reach of this deadly, insidious crisis. Alaska has the sad distinction of the highest rate of overdose deaths per capita of any place in the country. Our state and our country are facing a five-alarm crisis that is devastating younger generations. I’m glad to join Senator Murkowski and my colleagues in putting forward legislation to raise awareness among young people, parents, and first responders about the risks of fentanyl-laced illegal drugs and to coordinate the efforts of all stakeholders to help the thousands of Americans who do not need our judgment, but our help.”

Fentanyl is a crisis in Alaska, and the deaths it causes are affecting communities throughout the state. According to preliminary data, Alaska had a larger percentage increase in overdose deaths than any other state from 2020 to 2021, with fatalities rising from 146 in 2020 to 253 in 2021. Fentanyl poisoning is the biggest driver of those increases.

One of the many who lost some to fentanyl overdoses is Sandy Snodgrass, who has been sounding the alarm and working tirelessly to raise awareness.

“On October 26, 2021, my 22-year-old son, Bruce, died by fentanyl poisoning in Anchorage, Alaska. Since that day, I have learned that the amount of fentanyl that it takes to kill you can sit on the tip of a pencil. Since that day, I have learned that drug overdose, largely due to fentanyl poisoning, is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45. Since that day, I have learned that all illicit drugs in this country need to be suspected of being poisoned by fentanyl. Since that day, I have learned that Bruce was one of nearly 108,000 Americans that died of a drug overdose in 2021, with the majority of deaths due to fentanyl poisoning. Since that day, I have learned that the CDC reports to date in 2022, an American dies every 5 minutes of a drug overdose. Since that day, my sole purpose has been, and will continue to be, to raise awareness and provide education to stem the death toll that Fentanyl poisoning is wreaking in our country. Today, I ask all members of Congress to stand with Senators Murkowski, Feinstein, Sullivan, Hassan, and Baldwin in support of Bruce’s Law, and to join us in raising awareness and providing education to as many Americans as we can reach, as quickly as we can reach them. Time is not on our side!” said Sandy Snodgrass, Bruce’s Mom.

Bruce’s Law is a bi-partisan legislation that seeks to facilitate government cooperation and public awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, while allocating additional funding to community organizations and coalitions. The bill aims to address the rise in fentanyl use and fatalities impacting young people like Bruce by authorizing an interagency public awareness campaign led by the HHS Secretary on synthetic opioids and substance use.

It would also establish a federal interagency working group under the HHS Secretary to review federal efforts to reduce synthetic opioid overdoses and establish recommendations on youth-targeted education.

There would also be the creation of new Community-Based Coalition Enhancement Grants focused on youth-based prevention efforts that would allow Drug-Free Communities Coalitions to access new funding specifically to focus on the dangers of drugs containing synthetic opioids.

Alaska Representative Mary Peltola has also co-sponsored a House Bill reintroducing “Bruce’s Law,” along with 3 other representatives.

“This epidemic is not only an issue in my state but a serious issue nationwide. There are very few families across our nation that have not had a loved one experience opioid addiction or death. This legislation is critical to ensuring our communities have the resources they need to educate the public on the dangers of fentanyl. I’m proud to join my colleagues in advocating for its passage.”

In January, the Alaska Department of Public Safety released its annual drug report, which highlighted the seizure of more than 26 kilograms of illicit fentanyl, which is enough for “approximately 13.425 million potentially fatal doses.” Law enforcement authorities have also made significant seizures in Kodiak, Fairbanks, Juneau, and other Alaska communities in recent months.

“The overdose death of Bruce and many others across the country should be a call to action to educate young people about the dangers of drugs laced with fentanyl. I hope that Senator Murkowski and I can honor the legacy of Bruce, as well as the many Granite Staters who have succumbed to a fentanyl overdose by passing this commonsense, bipartisan bill into law,” said Senator Hassan.

“Many Alaskans have helped shape this bill, and I especially thank Bruce’s mom, Sandy, for her relentless advocacy. I’m looking forward to getting this bipartisan effort over the finish line,” said Senator Murkowski.

Senator Sullivan added:

“I want to commend Sandy Snodgrass for her tireless campaign in Bruce’s honor to protect young people and to prevent other families from ever having to suffer the unimaginable loss of a child to drug overdose or fentanyl poisoning.”

This legislation is officially endorsed by the Partnership to End Addiction, Voices for Awareness, Facing Fentanyl, Shatterproof, Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse (MAPDA), CADCA, and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA).