The Republican Governor of New Hampshire, Chris Sununu, joined an interview with three other governors on Sunday and blamed drug cartels for the fentanyl pandemic.
In the present day, young Americans have fallen prey to an opioid epidemic caused by a synthetic drug that many experts believe is produced in China. The substance has continued to leak through the southern border despite harm reduction strategies, such as Narcan and test strips.
Sununu said Narcan works for the most part, but where it doesn’t work needs to be talked about. Schools need access points, and kids need to know that there is help; what those systems are, rural access to care is massive.
The public has to know that this isn’t something that can be fixed in a month; most times, getting better is a continuous process. That’s why it’s helpful to have accommodating places of employment, wraparound services, and housing.
Sununu stressed the importance of learning about the fentanyl epidemic. It’s now found in vape cartridges, blended with marijuana, and even xylazine. The xylazine-fentanyl crisis is imminent; it negates the ability of Narcan to revive someone; it’s the mixing of everything.
Sununu claims that over-prescription is no longer the primary cause of the crisis, calling it a cartel-driven crisis. Cartels have vast access because they create their own marketplaces, smuggle in Adderall, and mix it with black-market Adderall and Xanax.
The host interrupted Sununu to ask about the source of these fentanyl-tainted medicines.
The Black Market, Sununu retorted.
He elaborated on how, as inflation rises, more individuals purchase pharmaceuticals offline; for example, parents would try to get Adderall and other drugs for their children on the internet, while teenagers might buy vape cartridges online. And it often contains fentanyl, so not only do traffickers stand to lose a few customers but also generate new addicts. This leads to a crisis because many people overdose without realizing they’re using fentanyl.
Governor Moore said he agrees with statements made by Sununu and that it marks a turning point where leaders cannot continue the process, thinking that criminalization is the answer. And the lessons acquired about behavioral and mental health are invaluable.
He suggested that, since this was the case, a broader, more comprehensive approach was required to address the issue. For the past two decades, society has responded to a problem with behavioral health by making it a criminal offense. He is aware of the state of Maryland’s relentless pursuit of long-term, adverse economic and social effects.
Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) has made a similar point, arguing that the opioid problem should be viewed as an addiction disorder.
According to Burgum, one of the most effective methods of treating addiction is using peer support specialists who have been through the criminal justice system or are now managing life with addiction and are in recovery.
The CDC reports that fentanyl is the most significant cause of death among U.S. individuals aged 18 to 45. More than 70,000 people yearly lose their lives to drug overdoses, or more than 70% of all drug-related deaths.