Source: News & Record
In Greensboro, flanked by law enforcement officers from Guilford and Forsyth counties, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein urged the state legislature to increase funding to address the growing fentanyl crisis in the Triad, according to the Greensboro News & Record.
Stein, who is also vying to be the state’s next governor, highlighted his efforts to tackle the pressing issue facing not just America but North Carolina and Greensboro.
The attorney general emphasized the need for funding to establish a Fentanyl Control Unit within his office to assist district attorneys in handling the intricate and time-intensive cases related to the crisis.
Stein highlighted several initiatives from his office, including the initiation of over 670 wiretaps and legal action against various drug manufacturers and distributors. Despite these efforts, opioid overdose deaths, especially from fentanyl, continue to plague the country, with last year surpassing 112,000 deaths for the first time.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 187 people in the U.S. die each day from opioid overdoses, with many involving illicit versions of fentanyl. Known for its affordability, accessibility, and potency compared to morphine, fentanyl is often mixed with other substances like cocaine and heroin, forming pills that mimic prescription opioids.
Captain Johnathan Hasty of the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division revealed that around 20 pounds of pure fentanyl were seized last year, alongside 427 pounds of cocaine, a third of which was mixed with or laced with fentanyl.
During the event, Police Chief John Thompson emphasized that fentanyl-related deaths remain a significant concern in the city, surpassing both traffic fatalities and homicides combined over the past few years.
In response to the crisis, Thompson noted that officers now carry naloxone, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses, to administer to users they might encounter, aiming to save lives.
A growing worry is the accessibility of fentanyl to adolescents and teens, both legally and illegally. In 2021, overdose deaths among teens increased by a staggering 84%, with the situation continuing to worsen.
