88R33423 KSM-D
 
  By: Menéndez S.R. No. 719
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Fentanyl Victims Remembrance Day is taking place on
  September 23, 2023; and
         WHEREAS, A highly addictive synthetic opioid, fentanyl has
  fueled an alarming increase in overdose deaths, and it has impacted
  communities across the nation, from large metropolitan areas to
  rural counties; among Americans under the age of 50, the drug is
  involved in a greater number of deaths than any other cause, proving
  more lethal than cancer, heart disease, homicide, or suicide; as
  little as two milligrams of fentanyl is a potentially deadly dose,
  especially for individuals who do not have a tolerance to opioids;
  and
         WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and
  Prevention, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl were involved in
  67 percent of the more than 107,000 drug overdose and drug
  poisoning deaths in the 12-month period ending in January 2022; in
  some cases, the deaths were attributed to fentanyl mixed with other
  substances, and many users were unaware that they were taking
  fentanyl; and
         WHEREAS, Each year, September 23 is set aside to honor and
  remember all victims who tragically lost their lives to fentanyl
  poisoning, to encourage support for their loved ones, and to warn
  the public about the dangers posed by the drug; the observance is
  led by fentanyl awareness organizations, community response teams,
  and affected families; and
         WHEREAS, More work remains to be done to assist the
  individuals and communities impacted by fentanyl use, and Fentanyl
  Victims Remembrance Day provides a fitting opportunity to affirm
  our commitment to combatting this deadly drug threat; now,
  therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
  hereby recognize September 23, 2023, as Fentanyl Victims
  Remembrance Day and pay tribute to the memory of all those who have
  died from fentanyl poisoning.