Senator Ricketts’ Weekly Column: Substance Use & Misuse Prevention Month

Drug overdoses are killing Americans.  The numbers are stark.  Annually, American deaths from fentanyl-laced pills and other drug overdoses are over double the number from car accidents, gunshots, and suicides.  Drug misuse has killed more Americans than in all the wars the United States has fought since the end of World War II.  As of 2025, an estimated 45 million people in the United States aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder in the past year.  This cannot go on.  Substance use disorders are a public health issue that have terrible consequences for individuals, families, and communities.  The misuse of illegal drugs, off-label medications, and other substances is harmful, and at times, fatal.

In the Senate, I’m working to raise awareness of this issue and fight against deadly drugs.  The Senate recently passed my bipartisan resolution declaring October Substance Use & Misuse Prevention Month.  The resolution calls attention to this crisis.  We need to support critical prevention programs.  But we can and must do more to combat the spread of deadly drugs.

Fentanyl is one of the most persistent threats.  The Biden Administration failed to take action to secure our southern border.  Consequently, the flow of illegal drugs skyrocketed.  Under Biden, 76,000 pounds of fentanyl crossed into America.  That’s over 10 billion lethal doses.  That’s enough to kill every American 30 times over.

When the drug situation at our nation’s southern border turned into a catastrophe, the Nebraska State Patrol stepped up.  In my last year as governor, state troopers confiscated two times as much methamphetamine, three times as much fentanyl, and ten times as much cocaine as they did in just the prior two years.  I am grateful for the work Nebraska law enforcement officers do to keep these deadly drugs off our streets.

Senate Republicans have stepped up to protect our border.  We’re fighting against the flow of drugs.  We funded law enforcement and border security, ending a Democrat shutdown of immigration enforcement.  Now, we have gone 17 months without a single illegal immigrant released at our border.  We passed the HALT Fentanyl Act.  The law permanently classifies fentanyl and its analogues as Schedule I substances.  It leads to harsher sentences for fentanyl traffickers.  Less fentanyl means fewer overdose deaths, like the tragic loss of Taryn Lee Griffith.  I’m also leading efforts to combat nitazenes, which is a class of drug that is even deadlier than fentanyl.  By cracking down on drug dealers and cartels, we’re making our streets safer.  We’re standing up for American families.  We’re standing up for those families who have lost loved ones to this terrible scourge.

I’m also working to raise awareness about the dangers of kratom.  This dangerous substance is commonly sold in gas stations and young Nebraskans are misled about its safety.  It’s an opioid that can be more potent than morphine.  These addictive products should not be on store shelves.  They are not safe for consumption.  I led a bipartisan letter urging the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on kratom in all of its forms.  We need consistent enforcement and federal guidance to combat kratom’s spread.

I’m also fighting to make sure our veterans have access to resources that prevent drug abuse.  I introduced the bipartisan MIND Our Veterans Act.  This bill would ensure that servicemembers receive effective, evidence-based mental health screenings prior to separation from active duty.  It would ensure that a drug-use assessment is considered in mental health screening.  By recognizing the connection between substance use and mental health challenges, we can better serve these heroic women and men.  We owe our servicemembers more than we can ever repay.  We must make sure that they are set up for success when they transition back to civilian life.

October is a designated month to fight against the scourge of substance abuse.  We must do more to combat the spread of deadly drugs.

My team and I are here to serve you.  Contact us anytime by phone at 202-224-4224.  You can also view my website at https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/contact.