Proposed bill calls on social media companies to help combat drug sales

WASHINGTON D.C. – Since 2021, state deaths by drug overdoses have decreased from 2,800 to 1,500, according to the Indiana Public Health Department. A new bill reintroduced by Sen. Todd Young looks to further decrease those numbers.

The Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act was named after two men who died from fentanyl laced drugs purchased on social media. The bipartisan order would require social media companies like Instagram, Facebook X and Snapchat to work with federal agencies in monitoring potential drug sales.

Currently, these groups and companies utilize natural language processing to detect code words for drugs in public posts, such as speed and skippy, according to Indiana University professor and substance abuse expert Jon Agley.

“If you see a conversation about skippy, it coul