OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, issued the following statement today after the Pierce County medical examiner found the March death of a 5-year-old Puyallup boy was caused by acute fentanyl toxicity. The boy’s mother was arrested and appeared in court yesterday on a charge of first-degree manslaughter after allegedly exposing him to the drug in her home.
“This is a senseless loss. No child should ever be exposed to something as deadly as fentanyl, and my heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragedy, including the first responders who were called to that scene. I also feel for the mother – she is fighting an addiction to a drug that has become a plague on our society. Addiction isn’t a crime, but it doesn’t absolve someone from the consequences of their actions, especially when those actions result in the death of a child.
“Fentanyl is a silent killer. The number of children dying from fentanyl exposure has increased more than 30-fold over the past decade. That should alarm every parent and policymaker. While it’s appropriate that the legal system has charged the mother in this case, we have a responsibility to make sure our child-endangerment laws also reflect the gravity of this crisis and do more to protect children.
“For several years, Senate Republicans have introduced legislation to add fentanyl and other synthetic opioids to the list of dangerous substances covered under Washington’s child endangerment statute – a list that already includes methamphetamines. The legislation has passed in the Senate with strong bipartisan support each time, including with Senate Bill 5071.
“I suspect this legislation would also pass if the full House was allowed to vote on it, but that hasn’t happened. The chair of the House committee on community safety has consistently refused to bring it to a vote, which raises yet another question about the priorities of House Democrat leadership when it comes to public safety.
“We can’t afford to wait for another preventable tragedy before expanding our laws. Protecting kids from exposure to lethal drugs should not be controversial or a partisan issue.”
Fentanyl exposure is now a leading cause of death for young children nationwide. A national study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that fentanyl-related fatalities in children under 5 rose dramatically from 2013 to 2021, with nearly half occurring in the child’s home and most ruled unintentional. In Washington state, the Office of the Family and Children’s Ombuds reported a surge in accidental fentanyl ingestions among children ages 0 to 11—from just one case in 2019 to 39 in 2023.
