The fight against fentanyl has become "an all-hands-on-deck effort," as law enforcement agencies across the state work together to remove tens of millions of lethal doses from circulation, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday told Newsmax.
"Pennsylvania is obviously a beautiful, wonderful state, [but] when you look at fentanyl and the way it's decimated our community and our state, it's everywhere, Sunday said on Newsmax's "National Report" on Friday.
The problem isn't only in Pennsylvania's big cities like Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, but is also harming the rural parts of the state, Sunday added.
"It is shredding families," he said. "It is absolutely, astronomically bad."
His comments follow a recent law enforcement operation in Philadelphia that resulted in federal charges against 33 people tied to a major drug-trafficking ring accused of distributing fentanyl and other narcotics.
Sunday said that through September, more than 50 million doses of fentanyl had been seized statewide this year, surpassing the total confiscated in 2024.
President Donald Trump's diplomatic efforts with Chinese President Xi Jinping to limit the flow of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl are also helping fight the scourge of the drug nationwide, said Sunday.
"When you have a president of the United States who is out there fighting for this issue, that gives all of us hope, because we know that it's not just us fighting it here in the streets every day," he said. "It's also being fought around the world and that's exactly what we need to hear."
Sunday added that each dose seized represents a potential life saved.
"When you talk about 50 million doses, that's 50 million lives that could have been taken in one instant," he said. "In today's world, one mistake by a child could equal death."
Still, Sunday said, "Everybody is on the same page."
"Everybody is rowing in the same direction, and this is absolutely crucial for the safety of our community," he noted.
Turning to the impact of the federal government shutdown, Sunday expressed concern for millions of Pennsylvanians who could lose access to SNAP benefits and warned that scammers may exploit those left struggling.
"At the end of the day, the citizens do not care about conflicts between leaders. They want to see outcomes," he said.
"I applaud the efforts by our state Treasurer Stacy Garrity in trying to seek some type of resolution where these SNAP benefits can continue to flow," Sunday added.
Meanwhile, the attorney general cautioned that fraudsters often target vulnerable residents, and that could be an issue with SNAP recipients.
"We are going to see an uptick in people trying to get them to provide their data, saying that they can help them get their SNAP benefits," Sunday said. "My hope is that we will have more creative solutions like that, that our state treasurer put forward."
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