Arizona Rep. Matt Gress (R-4) criticized social media app TikTok as “virtual fentanyl” in response to a report that an Ohio teenager overdosed on drugs “while attempting a TikTok stunt.”
“Here is another tragedy induced by the Chinese government-controlled TikTok,” tweeted Gress in response to a New York Post report about the Ohio teenager’s overdose. “The application is essentially ‘virtual fentanyl’ that is poisoning the minds of Americans, particularly our youth. Arizona families should know how destructive and dangerous TikTok really is.”
The New York Post reported that “an Ohio teen tragically perished after overdosing on over-the-counter medication while attempting a viral TikTok stunt. The 13-year-old victim, Jacob Stevens, had been partaking in the ‘Benadryl Challenge,’ a dangerous pursuit in which participants take 12 to 14 of the antihistamines — six times the recommended dose — in order to induce hallucinations.”
In February 2023, Gress announced the “No TikTok on Arizona Government Devices Act”, which would ban “the use ofTikTok on devices utilized for state business and public service-related efforts.” Gress said in a press release that he would “introduce an amendment to HB 2416 that includes the TikTok ban.”
Gress said TikTok is “an application owned and operated by the Chinese Communist Party with the capabilities of gathering crucial details about personal, private internet activity.”
On April 5, 2023, the Grand Canyon Times reported that Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.) signed an executive order banning TikTok from state devices. Hobbs’ announcement came on the same day Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) announced a ban of TikTok on her office’s devices.
Gress was elected in 2022 to represent Arizona District 4 in the state House of Representatives. He grew up in Oklahoma and attended the University of Oklahoma. Gress received his Masters degree from Syracuse University and previously served as a public school teacher and budget director for former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R). Gress is openly gay and resides with his partner, Daniel, in Phoenix, Arizona.
