Blackburn, Colleagues Hold Social Media Giants Accountable For Role In Fentanyl Crisis

U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) sent a letter with their colleagues to hold the CEOs of Instagram, TikTok, Snap Inc., and YouTube accountable for their failure to adequately prevent the sale of fentanyl-laced pills to teenagers and young adults on their platforms. 

In addition to Senators Blackburn and Cassidy, the letter was signed by Senators Daines (R-Mont.), Lee (R-Utah), Sullivan (R-Ark.), Marshall (R-Kan.), Lankford (R-Okla.), and Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.). Read the full letter here.

“Social media platforms like yours provide a convenient venue for dealers to anonymously and discreetly peddle these counterfeit pills to a young audience,” wrote the senators.

“With four in 10 of these pills containing a lethal dose of fentanyl, more and more of these online transactions are ending in tragedy,” continued the senators.

Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death among adults age 18-45. According to the CDC, illicitly manufactured fentanyl was the leading cause of overdose deaths, accounting for 71,328 lost lives in 2021, up from 57,834 in 2020, with an even sharper increase expected in 2022.