(LibertySociety.com) – A new poll from Axios/Ipsos regarding threats to the health of Americans shows a significant political divide among Democrats and Republicans. Republicans who participated in the poll rank fentanyl/opioids as the highest concern at 37%, with obesity coming in second at 25%. Meanwhile, Democrats surveyed believe that access to firearms is the biggest health concern at 37%, with obesity and fentanyl/opioids tying at 17% each. Fentanyl seizures at the U.S. southern border have skyrocketed over the last few years, which indicates an increase in the amounts getting through as well.
Overall, the largest concern among all Americans is fentanyl/opioids at 26% and obesity at 21%. Access to firearms comes in third, with 17% overall saying that they are the largest threat to public health. The article states that Democrats are almost nine times more likely to consider firearm access the biggest concern. However, 107,477 deaths can be attributed to overdoses between August 2021- August 2022, and 44,000 due to firearms in the same time frame, according to the article, which cites statistics from the Centers for Disease Control.
CEO Jim VandeHei of Axios tweeted results of the poll. His tweet shared a link to the poll with a caption explaining that 37% of Republicans think the biggest health threat is fentanyl + opioids, adding “This is wild” at the beginning. VandeHei received instant backlash in the comments with people wondering why it’s “wild” that something that kills 100,000 Americans every year is a major concern for Republicans. Less than an hour later, the CEO acknowledged his poorly worded tweet, attributing it to the vast difference in what Democrats and Republicans believe is the biggest health concern.
Republican U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, R-MO, quote tweeted VandeHei, stating that the drugs are “an epidemic of death, no other way to put it.” He said that they are the #1 killer of young Missourians and that Biden’s open-border policies are the cause of the drug pouring into the nation. Hawley, among other Republicans have been drawing attention to the fentanyl crisis for many years now, notably in 2022 when introducing legislation to make fentanyl distribution a felony murder charge.
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