Senator Todd Young Reintroduces Social Media Drug Bill
Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) has joined a bipartisan group of colleagues to reintroduce the “Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act,” a crucial piece of legislation aimed at holding social media companies more accountable in the fight against illegal drug sales on their platforms.
The bill, co-sponsored by Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), would mandate that social media companies and other communication service providers actively collaborate with federal agencies.
This collaboration would involve sharing critical data to combat the illegal sale and distribution of drugs, particularly fentanyl-laced pills, which have been increasingly acquired through platforms like TikTok and Snapchat.
The legislation is named in honor of Cooper Davis and Devin Norring, two young men who tragically lost their lives to fentanyl poisoning after purchasing what they believed were legitimate pills through social media. Their families are vocal supporters of the bill, advocating for greater accountability from tech platforms.
Senator Young emphasized the ongoing devastation of fentanyl in Indiana and across the nation, despite a recent slowdown in overall overdose deaths. “We need to do more to address the flow of these drugs that are poisoning young Americans, including distribution via social media,” said Senator Young. He added that the Act would provide law enforcement with more robust tools to counter the online drug trade and prosecute those who target youth.
Federal agencies have struggled to intervene effectively due to a lack of data from social media companies. This bill seeks to bridge that gap, empowering state and local law enforcement to combat the proliferation of fake, deadly pills. Organized drug cartels have increasingly leveraged social media to establish sophisticated distribution networks for fentanyl, making online platforms a critical battleground in the opioid crisis.
The bill has garnered broad support from various organizations, including the National HIDTA Directors Association, Snapchat, and a number of foundations and associations dedicated to drug prevention and public safety.
Johnette Cruz 93 WIBC News
