On the Issues

Expanded Resources for Addiction and the Fentanyl Crisis

In Minnesota, opioid-involved overdose deaths increased by 44% from 2020 to 2021, to a high of 978 deaths in 2021. The situation is the same throughout the nation, with 67,325 preventable deaths attributed to fentanyl in 2021. Almost two times as many Americans were killed by fentanyl last year alone as died in the entire Korean War. Far too many families are broken, lives lost, and communities destroyed due to fentanyl and the ongoing opioid crisis across the state and nation. Tribal communities and communities of color are some of the hardest hit. I will fight in Congress to confront this crisis head-on and will help to elevate this issue to the priority that it is.

I support:

  • Holding pharmaceutical companies that fueled the opioid epidemic accountable.
  • Expanding access to suboxone to prevent deaths.
  • Increasing funding for research-backed treatment programs.
  • Treatment over jail time for users.
  • Increased funding for programs to educate the public on the dangers of fentanyl.

To address this issue, we also must first stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. According to the DEA; China remains the primary source of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States. We must use all diplomatic and economic tools at our disposal to halt this trafficking. Domestically, we cannot fall back into a ‘war on drugs’ set of policies that disproportionately target poor and marginalized people. Arresting users is not the answer. We must use our limited resources to arrest and convict drug dealers and distributors.

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Immigration and the American Dream
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PO Box 50024 Minneapolis, MN 55405

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