Fentanyl was a focal point of President Biden’s second State of the Union address. More than 70,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. involved fentanyl in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fentanyl is the leading cause of death among adults ages 18-45. It impacts nearly every community in every state.
Fentanyl-related deaths are arguably the most important issue our country faces right now. Shatterproof is grateful that the President made this a centerpiece of his speech, and that Congress is holding hearings to urgently address this crisis.
Shatterproof is a national organization focused on guiding communities, removing systemic barriers to recovery, mobilizing the country to advocate for change, and ending addiction stigma. Shatterproof is doubling down on its efforts to address the harm caused by fentanyl. In the states, Shatterproof is advocating for legislation that aims to address the fentanyl crisis in a comprehensive way — by tackling key challenges such as overdose reporting and data sharing among public health and public safety, improving naloxone access and related good Samaritan laws, ensuring prevention programming helps communities address fentanyl challenges in the state, and encouraging state leaders to study and track the use of the internet for fentanyl trafficking. States should also invest in scalable education campaigns to prevent drug use and fentanyl-related deaths.
President Biden also highlighted an effort to increase inspection capacity of cargo vehicles. Shatterproof has advocated for The Fentanyl Sanctions Act (H.R. 2483/ S. 1044) to make trafficking fentanyl to the U.S. more difficult. Shatterproof also supported the STOP Act, which will upgrade postal service resources and education on fentanyl coming into the country. These laws should be vigorously implemented.
In addition, President Biden emphasized the need for young Americans to be educated on the danger and prevalence of fentanyl. Even though using substances at a young age is a major risk factor for addiction, federal funding for youth prevention programs has been cut by more than 34% in the last 10 years. Shatterproof believes in investing and implementing evidence-based prevention programs for youth. This should be combined with a national education campaign to reduce drug initiation and reduce future demand.
As President Biden said, “The opioid crisis is a non-partisan issue we must solve where members of both parties can come together and make additional progress for the American people."
Shatterproof has a number of resources on fentanyl and videos and information about naloxone on its website as well as an epidemic report. Additionally, the organization created a visual, which demonstrates that this is a deadly crisis and shows the number of deaths related to fentanyl by year.
ABOUT SHATTERPROOF:
Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the U.S. Shatterproof harnesses the models of business, the rigor of science and the power of a national movement to create change and save lives through three pillars of work: revolutionizing the addiction treatment system, breaking down addiction-related stigmas and supporting and empowering our communities. Find Shatterproof on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube: @ShatterproofHQ or follow them on Instagram at @weareshatterproof. To learn more, visit www.Shatterproof.org. If you are experiencing anxiety, depression or a substance use disorder, text SHATTERPROOF to 741741 for help.
