” America has suddenly resolved the fentanyl issue”
Given the social media apathy of the past two years and the absence of reporting on the topic, you would be forgiven if you believed that was the case. This is the article that we all awaited in the United States. Sadly, the reality is quite the opposite. The opioid crisis in America continues to rage on, but it appears that politicians in Washington, D. C., are suddenly set to try a new view.  ,
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A organized, proper, and information-driven effort to disrupt the supply chain of illicit fentanyl and other synthetic drugs was mandated by President Biden on July 31 in a new National Security Memorandum. This is a pleasant development that will hopefully increase the effectiveness of the administration’s different commissions and alliances over the past few years. However, it is only one piece of the puzzle. Local and state law enforcement must also have the necessary resources to fight the opioid crisis.
Fortunately, a series of constitutional towns with companies involved in the production, supply, and selling of opioid prescriptions may help make this a actuality. All told, approximately$ 55 billion in such payouts , have been agreed to with state and local governments, but by far the most notable is the$ 26 billion global settlement reached in February 2022 with a manufacturer and several distributors of opioids.
The settlement’s funding has already begun to reach local communities across the country, giving them actual assistance that is sorely needed. This has led to numerous success stories for their law enforcement and public health organizations. Louisiana has announced it will give 20 % of the$ 325 million in lawsuit funds it is receiving, or$ 65 million complete, to sheriffs in order to help spur efforts to end the opioid crisis in that position, while the Kansas Bureau of Investigation received$ 110, 000 in colony money to increase its cooperative fentanyl impact team. These examples illustrate how to use these funds to stop the criminal organizations that are putting this venom on our roads.
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Charleston County, S. C., has, in addition to receiving a share of the colony money, hired an opiate program coordinator to serve as a liaison between various partnering agencies and departments and increased or strengthened more than a few federal programs and partnerships since last year. Additionally, they have invested in sequential intercept model ( SIM ) mapping, which assists local governments in identifying resources and service gaps and creating strategic action plans to help transition people with mental and substance use disorders into treatment.
Unfortunately, the settlement still contains a small number of notable handouts that could ultimately impede broader national progress. Baltimore, the city’s most notable example, foregoes its$ 100 million settlement stake in order to obtain a larger payout in court. As the” U. S. Overdose Capital”, according to one prominent news outlet, Baltimore’s refusal to join the settlement is conspicuous, to say the least. Further demonstrates how refusing to participate in coordinated efforts to end the opioid crisis can undermine efforts across the country and have disastrous effects, given that only a few short years ago the city was praised for its response to addiction.
The opioid crisis is still in full swing, and the nation has no time to wait for resources to be used in lengthy legal proceedings that have failed in other courts of law. Over 80, 000 Americans died from opioid overdoses last year, and the number of deaths for children aged 12 to 17 has doubled nationwide since the pandemic started. It is obvious that the time is now to act as illicit opioids continue to pour into our nation and we gaze down the barrel of a fourth wave of the opioid crisis.
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The proverb that “it takes a village” is well-known to many of us. In the end, this will be true for putting an end to America’s opioid crisis. To stop the criminal elements that are wreaking havoc in our communities and ensure that those who suffer from addiction receive the help they need, leaders at both the state and federal levels must march in concert.  ,
