We cannot repeat failed war on drugs, but we must react to current fentanyl epidemic | Opinion

The federal government first declared a war on drugs in the 1970s and subsequently accelerated its efforts in the ’80s and ’90s. The policies that came out of this “war” disproportionately targeted and impacted communities of color, with devastating impacts on countless families.

Now, our communities are facing a far different drug crisis: illicit fentanyl.

Fentanyl overdoses kill roughly 6,000 Californians every year.

In 2021, fentanyl was responsible for one-fifth of the deaths of Californians aged 15-24. From 2018 to 2021, the number of annual fentanyl-related deaths in Fresno County jumped from two to 114.

The drug war was a staggering policy failure, and city officials have no desire to return to inequitable and ineffective policies of the past. Those ideas are clearly insufficient at best and actively harmful at worst. But we cannot let decades-old mistakes prevent us from saving lives today.

That’s why we are disappointed in the lack of action and lackluster response that the Legislature has carried out this session on fentanyl legislation.

On any given day in California, 18 people die from fentanyl and other synthetic opioid overdoses. Fentanyl is not like other drugs. It’s cheap, about 100 times more potent than morphine and it can easily be disguised as other drugs. For unaware users, this can be lethal.

Fentanyl overdoses are spiking in every corner of our state, but it’s most acute in communities with the lowest access to resources. Black and Indigenous Californians are being disproportionately impacted by fentanyl.

City officials are on the front lines of this destructive crisis. This drug is killing people we join in worship, see at the grocery store and strike up a conversation with as we drop our children off at school. Too many of us have learned about a young family member or friend who died after unknowingly swallowing a fentanyl-laced pill. In Compton, we are gravely concerned about our teenagers having online access to fentanyl.

But we are not naïve. We know that we cannot “interdict or punish” our way out of this crisis, and we certainly don’t want to return to failed war-on-drug policies from four decades ago.

The drug war contributed to the mass incarceration of millions of Americans of color and made it even more difficult for vulnerable communities to receive the public health treatment they deserve. We all want California’s fentanyl response to be thoughtful and rooted in the best evidence. However, too many lives are being lost, and we can’t let past mistakes hold us back from taking sorely needed action that could save lives.

We are incredibly frustrated with the lack of concerted, swift action from the Legislature. Informational hearings are not a substitute for concrete action, and while lawmakers dither more Californians — including the youngest among us — die every day.

Local leaders are committed to enacting solutions that strike a balance between community justice and public safety. Reducing fentanyl poisonings and stemming the rising death toll are complex issues that require a collaborative approach. We support state funding and current legislative proposals that seek to address this crisis through prevention and intervention efforts, educational campaigns and access to life-saving overdose treatment aids like Naloxone. Additionally, we are calling on the Legislature to pass measures that address supply by going after manufacturers, and support efforts that increase penalties to hold accountable the predatory drug dealers who kill innocent people.

In California, we are no strangers to responding to and leading on difficult policy issues. We can learn from mistakes made during the war on drugs and make better-informed decisions.

We are facing a critical moment. The fentanyl crisis is wreaking havoc on our communities with no end in sight. Elected officials at every level of government have a responsibility to keep our residents safe and work toward reversing this epidemic. The health and success of our communities depends on it.

This story was originally published June 2, 2023 at 5:00 AM.