Fentanyl Causes 100K+ US Deaths a Year — Save Lives Now

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Sponsor: The Veterans Site

Help us ask Congress to create a strong foundation to lift communities out of the opioid crisis before more Americans die.

Fentanyl Causes 100K+ US Deaths a Year — Save Lives Now

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine, and illegally manufactured versions of it are putting many lives at risk1.

Fentanyl was once primarily used to cut the purity of heroin, but it is now more commonly found in counterfeit pressed pills, or mixed with cocaine and other stimulants2.

In just one year, over 100,000 Americans died from overdoses, largely driven by fentanyl. These accidental deaths are still on the rise3. Often, people simply don’t know that fentanyl is present in their drugs and are not prepared to respond4.

Fentanyl overdoses can be prevented, and addiction can be effectively treated5. There are also effective ways to help people survive drug use and find lasting health and recovery.

States can use evidence-backed approaches to prevent and reduce overdose deaths6. Improvements to data collection, access to naloxone and fentanyl testing strips, awareness campaigns, and 911 Good Samaritan Laws meanwhile create a strong foundation to lift communities out of the opioid crisis.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is a proven pharmacological treatment for opioid use disorder, based on FDA approved medications6. Numerous studies have shown that MAT contributes to significant reductions in opioid use, criminal activity, overdose, and other risky behaviors. It reduces opioid cravings and allows the patient to make healthy and lasting social, psychological, and lifestyle changes.

The American Rescue Plan authorized $30 million for harm reduction programs in 20217, but solving this problem will require yearly funding.

We cannot allow hundreds of thousands of Americans to die every year in preventable drug overdoses.

Sign the petition and ask the government to increase funding for evidence-backed approaches like MAT to prevent and reduce fentanyl overdose deaths.

More on this issue:

  1. Committee On Energy And Commerce, 115th Congress (21 March 2017), "Fentanyl: The Next Wave Of The Opioid Crisis."
  2. Drug Enforcement Administration (December 2019), "National Drug Threat Assessment."
  3. National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (20 January 2022), "Overdose Death Rates."
  4. Minnesota Department of Health, "Fentanyl."
  5. National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (June 2021), "Fentanyl DrugFacts."
  6. Jennifer J. Carroll, PhD, MPH; Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc; and Rita K. Noonan, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018), "Evidence-Based Strategies for Preventing Opioid Overdose: What’s Working in the United States."
  7. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (8 December 2021), "SAMHSA Announces Unprecedented $30 Million Harm Reduction Grant Funding Opportunity to Help Address the Nation’s Substance Use and Overdose Epidemic."

The Petition

To our leaders driving the American Rescue Plan,

In the midst of an opioid crisis, illegally manufactured fentanyl stands out as one of the top causes of drug overdose in the U.S.

In just one year, over 100,000 Americans died from overdoses, largely driven by fentanyl. These accidental deaths are still on the rise because people often don't know that fentanyl is present in their drugs.

Fentanyl is now more commonly found in counterfeit pressed pills, or mixed with cocaine and other stimulants. This concerning ubiquity is devastating communities, leading to the deaths of loved ones, friends, neighbors, and hundreds of thousands more if action is not taken soon.

States can use evidence-backed approaches to prevent and reduce overdose deaths. Improvements to data collection, access to naloxone and fentanyl testing strips, awareness campaigns, and 911 Good Samaritan Laws can create a strong foundation to lift communities out of the opioid crisis.

The American Rescue Plan authorized $30 million for harm reduction programs in 2021, but solving this problem will require yearly funding.

I implore you to commit $30 million annually to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in support of evidence-backed approaches to prevent and reduce fentanyl overdose deaths and save Americans from the devastating opioid crisis.

Sincerely,

DEV MODE ACTIVE. BRAND: ars