RIPCA’s Chief Matthew Moynihan Joins Discussion on Latest Efforts to Combat Fentanyl, Address Opioid Crisis

Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association Treasurer and South Kingstown Police Chief Matthew Moynihan joined government officials and experts last week to discuss efforts to combat fentanyl, ensure community safety, and promote harm reduction and recovery initiatives for people who use drugs.

Chief Moynihan joined Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha and officials from Brown University on June 26. They discussed the latest efforts to “fend off fentanyl” and address the opioid crisis at the roots. Part of this effort is the bipartisan Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act, a new federal sanctions and anti-money laundering bill that targets the illicit fentanyl supply chain. 

“Law enforcement is the front line of this fight in many ways,” said Chief Moynihan. “From interdiction to outreach we are working to address the impacts that opioid use disorder has on our communities. Adding more tools and strategies that we can use to help prevent fentanyl from entering our drug supply is critical to gaining ground.”

According to the latest data from the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), 434 Rhode Islanders died of drug overdoses last year, making it one of the deadliest years on record.  Fentanyl was involved in 75% of fatal overdose cases in Rhode Island last year, according to RIDOH and PreventOverdoseRI.org (PORI). The rate of U.S. drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl more than tripled from 2016 through 2021, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read more about the FEND Off Fentanyl Act and last week’s discussion here.

(All photos are courtesy of the Office of U.S. Sen. Jack Reed)