President Joe Biden made addressing the opioid crisis a central point of his State of the Union address in January. "Fentanyl is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year," he said while explaining his "United Agenda," a group of issues that enjoy bipartisan support.
Biden referenced one of the guests at the address — a father named Doug from New Hampshire who wrote the president a letter about his daughter Courtney, who died of a fentanyl overdose. "Describing the last eight years without her, Doug said, 'There is no worse pain,'" Biden continued. We’re now in August, and a recent study by policy firm KFF shows 3 in 10 adults know someone in their family addicted to opioids.
NEW YORK NATIONAL GUARD TO SECURE HOTELS SHELTERING IMMIGRANTS FOLLOWING SEXUAL ASSAULTS
Opioid deaths have been trending much higher in recent years. In 2020, overdose deaths topped 100,000 in the United States for the first time. It was a 31% increase from 2019. Experts have repeatedly said that most of the drug supply is made in Mexico with chemicals imported from China. Clearly, the opioid epidemic is a border and law enforcement issue, and the Biden administration isn’t doing enough to stop Mexican drug cartels from bringing these dangerous drugs into the country.
Drug-related overdoses and skyrocketing suicide rates are both symptoms of how children and adults are turning to substances to cope. Biden announced last month rules to boost access to mental healthcare and addiction treatment, but neglecting to also address points of entry at the border for these deadly drugs is indefensible, and criticism has come from all sides.
Despite the president claiming that his administration has a record number of people working on the problem, the KFF study shows that 42% of adults in rural areas say they, or someone in their family, have been addicted to opioids. About 23% of adults in urban areas gave the same answer. KFF noted that many people cited cost and a lack of insurance for not seeking treatment, a problem now compounded by high inflation.
Areas in Oregon, California, and New York City that have taken "harm reduction" measures, such as creating "safe use" sites, have seen overdose deaths spike. Many in those areas report that the programs simply normalize opioid use as opposed to ending it. While there is broad support for making harm reduction kits that contain naloxone nasal spray and fentanyl test strips widely available, it's not enough to stop deaths. Taxpayers are paying for this crisis through stretched-thin police budgets and emergency resources.
While both Democrats and Republicans agree that the Drug Enforcement Administration is working hard to battle the crisis and raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl with its “One Pill Can Kill” campaign, “the problem continues to be an open border,” said Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS). Even Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has made this point, citing U.S. Customs and Border Protection data showing 84% of fentanyl seized was found at border crossings. But when Border Patrol officers are overwhelmed handling asylum-seekers with young children flooding the country’s checkpoints, there is less manpower to search for fentanyl.
Legislators are doing their part to safeguard American lives. A bipartisan group of 66 senators, including 29 Democrats, recently passed the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which targets money laundering and strengthens sanctions aimed at disrupting the supply chain. It’s now time for the Biden administration to prioritize border security and boost Border Patrol and immigration enforcement. The devastating impact of this crisis is not only personal to the families struggling with addiction, it also has lasting effects on the economy. As we grapple with a severe labor shortage, the death toll from this crisis will only exacerbate our fiscal problems and complicate the future of this country.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Joana Suleiman is the production editor of the Washington Examiner magazine.