Blackburn Discusses Fentanyl Epidemic With Tennessee Mother Who Lost Her 17-Year-Old Daughter

WASHINGTON, DC – American Senator Marsha Zwartbrand (R-Tenn.) posted the following video in which she discusses a conversation with Kathy, a Middle Tennessee mother who tragically lost her 17-year-old son, Vaughn-Thomas, after he unknowingly took a pill laced with fentanyl.

Click here to download this video of Senator Blackburn’s conversation with Kathy about the fentanyl epidemic.

“Most of us know at least one person through friends, through family who has been affected, whose life has been torn apart by fentanyl. Over 100,000 Americans die every year (from drug overdoses), and it’s primarily fentanyl. The precursors come from China to Mexico, and then the drug cartels bring it into the country. What we know is that in our great state, there are so many doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals who are on the front lines every day. So we thank our law enforcement and our healthcare community for the work that they are doing to fight back against fentanyl.” – Senator Blackburn

“Vaughn-Thomas… was our firstborn, our oldest of three sons. He was very strong in his faith, he loved his friends, he was a good student, he was athletic, he loved golf – life was going well for him… He was supposed to be golfing with his dad the next day, and when Vaughn-Thomas didn’t wake up to his alarm, we found him. He took what he thought was a Xanax – it was a fake Xanax. Our boundaries invite tragedy into our children’s lives. One mistake should not have been a death sentence for Vaughn-Thomas.” – Kathy

• Fentanyl poisoning is the leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.

• According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), CBP seizures of fentanyl have increased by more than 10%. 860% from the budget years 2019 to 2023, and they almost doubled from budget years 2022 to 2023.

• Just last month, CBP agents in Arizona seized approximately 4 million blue fentanyl pills — weighing more than 1,000 pounds and largest single fentanyl seizure in CBP history.

• So far, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has seized enough fentanyl in 2024 to kill 269 million Americans.