Statewide, Iowa — Governor Kim Reynolds held a news conference July 12th, to highlight a dramatic increase in fentanyl-laced fake opioid pills that have flooded the state. It comes on the heels of the arrest of five residents of Cass County on federal indictments for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in a ring discovered after overdose deaths in Cass and Shelby counties.
Deric and Kathy Kidd joined the governor and Deric told the story of how their son Sebastian died from taking a fake pill.
Kidd says Sebastion took half of what he thought was Percocet before he went to sleep and never woke up.
Kidd says his son was poisoned for lack of a better term. He says everyone thinks they are going to be better parents than their parents were — and that kids are going to follow our rules.
Kidd says young people are taking the pills for a multitude of reasons including physical or emotional trauma, depression, anxiety, physical pain from surgeries, peer pressure, or just experimentation. And he says it doesn’t matter what parents say.
Public Safety Commissioner, Steven Bayens says the volume of fentanyl seized by law enforcement throughout Iowa is shocking even to the most veteran narcotics agents.
A majority were disguised as prescription drugs. Bayens says the Drug Enforcement Administration has determined that two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, depending on body size and tolerance
Governor Reynolds says the state will do more to help educate everyone about the dangers of fentanyl and fake prescription drugs. She says the Biden Administration needs to do more to stop the flow of illegal immigration and drugs across the border.
Reynolds says the administration has done very little to address these issues.
