We have addressed big pharmaceutical companies and we’ve addressed physicians who have over-prescribed narcotics which helped to incite this epidemic. But we still have not adequately addressed the criminal cartel organizations who continue to pour their illicit narcotics into our communities and market every day for new customers in our children or their violent crimes which have harmed more individuals, families and communities than we can count.

According to a new drug related mortality study conducted by Northwestern and Pennsylvania Universities over 389 lives are lost due to drug related causes in the U.S. With these new numbers in mind this means that to date over 801,054 lives have been lost to drug induced causes since 2013. If we continue on this path within one year we will surpass 1 million lives lost due to drug related causes. This is simply unacceptable.

The damage due to the illicit drug trade doesn’t end with those who suffer from substance use disorder or who have been lost due to substance use disorder. The collateral damage to the family members and loved ones surrounding the victims of these poisons is incalculable. The number of violent crimes and homicides associated with the illicit drug trade itself and the number of these victims haven’t even begun to be counted. It’s past time the we encourage real and meaningful effort on the part of our legislators to stop those who are deliberately harming our children and communities and begin the healing in earnest.

Please sign and share our White House petition for the innumerable victims of illicit substances to finally be acknowledged by our leadership, to stop the drug highway and criminal drug trafficking organizations who have harmed so many and to finally provide meaningful legislature to heal the families and communities affected.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/end-cartel-drugs-and-violence-us