Originally published at santafenewmexican.com on April 26, 2025.
America may finally be turning a corner in the opioid crisis. For the first time in years, overdose deaths are declining. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported a 17% decrease in opioid-related fatalities between July 2023 and July 2024: a promising sign that prevention and treatment efforts are making headway.
But make no mistake. The fight is far from over.
Illicit fentanyl remains the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever faced. In 2022 alone, the DEA seized over 379 million deadly doses, more than enough to kill every American. Six out of 10 counterfeit pills seized that year contained lethal amounts of fentanyl, and new threats like nitazenes and xylazine are now compounding an already devastating crisis.
Against this backdrop, states and localities have been given a once-in-a-generation opportunity to act. Opioid settlements, like the $26 billion settlement finalized in 2022, offer the resources needed to finally get ahead of the epidemic, if our political leaders have the courage and discipline to use them wisely.
Unfortunately, too many jurisdictions across the country are blowing it.
Investigations have revealed counties in other states spending opioid relief funds on heart screenings, signage and even toy robots. These are not harmful programs in isolation, but they are not opioid abatement. Every dollar diverted from treatment, prevention and harm reduction is a missed opportunity to save a life.
New Mexico will receive nearly $900 million in settlement funds over the next 15 years. That money could be transformational in a state where three people die every day from an overdose. And in some cases, we are getting it right.
Las Cruces and Doña Ana County have formed a joint strategy focused on evidence-based priorities: medication-assisted treatment, prevention, recovery services and data collection. Bernalillo County and Albuquerque have partnered to solicit community input and explore creative, research-backed solutions. Seven rural counties have formed a regional remediation collaborative. These innovative, strategic approaches could serve as a model for the rest of the Southwest.
Other states also urgently put their funds to work, providing different models that New Mexico could emulate. Spokane, Wash., is investing in expanded stabilization centers and housing for parents recovering from addiction. Wisconsin directs funds to police departments for medication-assisted treatment education and disposal programs. Louisiana is channeling funds straight to sheriffs to prioritize treatment over punishment.
These are not just good intentions. They are good policy and sound economics. Programs like Eugene, Ore.’s CAHOOTS or Miami-Dade County’s crisis response teams save money while reducing ER visits, arrests and tragedies. When law enforcement and mental health professionals team up, the results speak for themselves: healthier communities, safer neighborhoods and better outcomes for people in crisis.
The alternative? Misuse, delay and mismanagement leave communities vulnerable and lives at risk.
The opioid crisis has evolved from overprescription to illicit manufacturing. Fentanyl seizures have more than quadrupled since 2019, and deadly new analogs are on the rise. What began as a public health emergency is now a national security threat, with Mexican cartels and Chinese chemical suppliers feeding an ever-growing black market.
We cannot arrest our way out of this crisis, nor can we regulate it away through prescription limits alone. We need a sustained, multipronged effort to expand treatment, empower law enforcement and educate families, especially young people, about the dangers of today’s drug supply.
That means using every settlement dollar as a down payment on a healthier, safer, more resilient America.
New Mexico’s leaders must stay focused, strategic and accountable. The opioid crisis won’t be solved with news releases or budget gimmicks. It will be solved by putting resources where they matter most: into programs that work.
We have the blueprint. We have the funds. Now we need the follow-through.
Originally published at santafenewmexican.com on April 26, 2025.