Sen. John Cornyn has made the fentanyl crisis a priority, pushing policies to crack down on supply. But such policies have a limited impact on drug abuse and divert resources from preventive programs and treatment, says fellow Katharine Neill Harris.
Stigma around Xylazine stops people from seeking help, fellow Katharine Neill Harris explained. Health care providers at all levels need to be aware of the problem so “people don’t feel so ashamed that they kind of hide and don’t get the help that they need.”
Increasing criminal penalties for fentanyl won't solve the problem of overdose, fellow Katharine Neill Harris says. “It doesn’t address the issue because it doesn’t address demand, and as long as there is a demand for the drug, there will be a supply for it.”
In terms of the ongoing addiction crisis, fentanyl — the drug and its supply — continues to be the most dangerous, Drug Policy fellow Katharine Neill Harris said. “But I don’t think it’s necessarily the last drug crime crisis that we are going to face.”
Xylazine is quickly becoming a threat in the drug crisis, but steps to combat it are already in effect. “The federal government has been much quicker to start worrying about xylazine than they were about fentanyl,” Drug Policy fellow Katharine Neill Harris said.