COLUMBUS—State Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, has announced the introduction of Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, a piece of legislation aimed at condemning China for its role in the illegal drug trade.

“Not only is China the largest point of origin of fentanyl smuggled to the United States, bug China has allowed and encouraged the proliferation of fentanyl as a matter of policy, causing irreparable harm to our country and our communities,” Johnson said. “Fentanyl kills thousands of Ohioans a year. China must be held accountable.”

Johnson said China has failed to address illegal drug activity within its own borders and refuses to cooperate with the United States’ efforts to slow and stop the drug trade. He said fentanyl production is actually encouraged through Chinese government economic incentives and SCR 7 will put China on notice that Ohioans will not stand idly by as their communities are ravaged by the devastation of drug addiction.

Johnson chairs the Senate community Revitalization Committee, which launched a first set of statewide hearings in Portsmouth in 2021 to review, assess, and update the approach to community addiction and recovery programs. Those hearings resulted in Senate Bill 105, much of which became part of Ohio’s most recent operating budget.

“It is imperative that money invested in treatment programs delivers long-term results,’ Johnson said. “We owe it to our families, our neighborhoods, and to our taxpayers.”