>> ♪ ♪
>> WE CANNOT LEAD FENTANYL INTO
OUR COUNTRY.
IT'S DEVASTATING.
AS YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I DO.
IT'S DEVASTATING.
>> Martha: PRESIDENT TRUMP
WARNING OF THE DANGERS OF THE
DRUG FENTANYL.
THE FDA SEIZED ENOUGH FENTANYL
IN A NEW YORK HOME TO KILL 2
MILLION PEOPLE.
ON AVERAGE 130 AMERICANS DIE
EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM AN OPIOID
OVERDOSE.
GERALDO RIVERA TRAVELED TO ONE
OF THE HARDEST HIT STATES.
OHIO, FOR AN INDEPTH LOOK AT THE
CRISIS IN AMERICA'S HEARTLAND
AND JOINS ME NOW.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY
FROM THAT?
>> I WENT THERE TO DAYTON, OHIO,
BECAUSE DAYTON WAS THE CAPITAL
OF THE OPIOID OVERDOSE EPIDEMIC.
THIS LITTLE CITY OF 140,000 WAS
EXPERIENCING 10 TO 12 OVERDOSE
DEATHS A DAY.
OVER 80 IN A MONTH.
NOW THEY HAVE CUT IT
DRAMATICALLY.
THEY HAVE DONE THAT WITH A
COMBINATION OF A TASK FORCE, A
FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY AND LOCAL
AUTHORITIES.
THEY HAVE DRUG TREATMENT AND
FAMILY COUNSELLING.
THEY GOT THE WORD OUT THAT
FENTANYL KILLS.
EVEN THE JUNKIES HAVE TESTS FOR
FENTANYL IN THEIR HEROIN.
>> Martha: LIKE THE CLEAN
NEEDLES INITIATIVE.
I WANT TO PLAY A SOUND BITE.
WATCH THIS.
>> I BROKE MY BACK AND STARTED
TO TAKE PAIN PILLS.
I GOT WORSE FROM THERE.
WITH FENTANYL, I NEEDED IT MORE
THAN I WANTED IT.
>> WERE YOU THEN COMMITTING
ROBBERIES TO SUPPORT YOUR HABIT?
>> YEAH.
>> DID YOU STEAL FROM YOUR
FAMILY?
>> YEAH.
>> SO DO THEY UNDERSTAND?
>> NO.
I STOLE THEIR HAPPINESS FROM
THEM TOO.
>> HEART BREAKING.
18 YEARS OLD.
HURT HER BACK AND STARTED ON
PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS, FROM A
PHARMACEUTICAL.
THE DOCTOR CUT HER OFF.
SHE IS TURNED TO HEROIN BECAUSE
SHE WAS ADDICTED TO THE OPIOID.
THE HEROIN LACED WITH FENTANYL
ENDED HER UP IN PRISON.
SHE IS 22-YEAR-OLD.
THEY HAVE PROGRAMS IN THE JAIL
TO HELP OUT FOLKS LIKE THIS
YOUNG LADY.
IT'S SO HEART WRENCHING.
>> Martha: WE HAVE THE SHERIFF.
>> WE GOT SICK OF SEEING OUR
LOVED ONES DIE.
EVERYBODY CAME TOGETHER.
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE
TREATMENT PROVIDERS AND THE
GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESSES ANDED
WE ARE DONE WITH THIS.
WE WILL DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO
MAKE SURE OUR LOVED ONES GET THE
HELP THEY NEED.
>> Martha: GOOD FOR THEM.
SHE WAS PRESCRIBED PAIN KILLERS.
HE TALKS ABOUT THE TREATMENT
PROVIDERS.
IS THERE ENOUGH PROGRESS WITH
DOCTORS NOT PUTTING THIS OUT
THERE?
>> YES, BUT THE PROBLEM IS WHEN
YOU CUT SOMEONE OFF ADDICTED TO
A PRESCRIPTION OPIOID?
YOU WANT THEM TO SOLDIER ON AND
GO THROUGH VIOLENT DETOX?
>> Martha: WHY THEY ARE GETTING
IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THERE IS A FEELING IN IN COUNTRY
THAT PAIN IS NOT SOMETHING YOU
SHOULD HAVE.
I UNDERSTAND IF YOU ARE A CARNES
PATIENT.
BUT IF YOU ARE A KID WITH A
SORE KNEE YOU CAN GET BY WITH
TYLENOL?
>> NOW YOU DON'T EXPECT IT
UNLESS YOU ARE A TERMINAL CANCER
PATIENT.
THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN IT IT WAS
A FEW YEARS AGO.
THEY WERE THROWING THE DRUGS OUT
THERE BECAUSE THE PROVIDERS WERE
JAMMING IT DOWN THE DOCTOR'S
THROATS.
>> Martha: AND CONVINCING THEM
IT WAS NOT ADDICTIVE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
RATHER THAN GO THROUGH A REHAB
OR GO WITH TYLENOL, PEOPLE WERE
GOING TO THESE DRUGS.
VERY POWERFUL DRUGS.
MANY OF THEM OVERDOSING.
IT WRECKED THE FAMILIES.
>> Martha: THAT KID.
I STOLE THEIR HAPPINESS.
HERE IS A LITTLE CLIP I WATCHED
LAST NIGHT.
WATCH THIS LITTLE CLIP.
>> [BEEPING].
>> NO.
>> THERE YOU GO.
>> YOU DIDN'T CHECK MY SHOES.
>> Martha: THIS PARENT KNOWS HOW
TO CHECK HIS POCKET AND MIGHT
HAVE IT IN HIS SHOES.
THE PANIC THAT SETS IN WHEN YOU
LOVE A CHILD GOING DOWN THIS
ROAD.
IT'S DEVASTATING.
>> AND 72,000 AMERICANS DYING OF
OVERDOSES LAST YEAR.
WE LOST 50,000 IN 12 YEARS OF
WAR IN VIETNAM.
RICH, POOR, BLACK AND WHITE.