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Turning the tide of the opioid crisis in New Hampshire needs attention from everyone

By Stephen J. Arnold Sr. - Guest Columnist | Sep 18, 2021

The recent news that America experienced a record number of drug overdose deaths in 2020 unfortunately did not come as much of a surprise to many of our country’s first responders and medical workers. These brave individuals have been fighting on the front lines of America’s opioid crisis and know all too well the carnage that such drugs have been ravaging on American streets.

The spark may have been lit by the misuse and overprescribing of prescription opioids but illicit street drugs, particularly fentanyl, has been the proverbial gasoline on the fire. Efforts have been launched from all corners of the law enforcement and medical communities to bring this crisis under control with the aim of helping the United States kick its drug habit once and for all.

Like most issues in life, winning this fight comes down to a matter of resources. To date, beat cops across the country have simply been outmaneuvered by the multi-billion-dollar criminal enterprises that are running these drugs into our country and taking advantage of the chaos on the southern border to further integrate their smuggling networks into the United States. They have also borne some of the greatest risks on the front lines of the fight against illicit fentanyl and on several occasions have become sickened by unintentional exposuresto the drug.

Turning this tide will take a collaborative effort at the local, state, and federal levels of law enforcement and will require the full attention of all ranks of law enforcement from beat cop to attorney general. Similarly, the rise in illicit opioid use that preceded the surge in drug overdose will necessitate additional funding to the medical community for treatment and recovery programs for those suffering from addiction. Along with interdiction efforts, this will be a key piece of the puzzle towards helping America kick its collective drug habit.

News that a nationwide $26 billion dollar settlement has just been reached with several distributors and one manufacturer of opioid prescription drugs is promising. This money can be immediately earmarked towards funding treatment programs. It will also free up legal resources in offices of District Attorneys and Attorneys General that have been tied up in years of ongoing civil litigation to pivot their efforts towards building criminal cases against the cartels smuggling and distributing illegal opioids in the United States.

While over 40 states have signed onto the agreement, several others, including New Hampshire, have indicated that they may only partially opt into the settlement or may even opt out altogether. Not only could this jeopardize the ability of the Granite State to access these much-needed resources to fight the opioid crisis, but given the complex structure of the agreement, it could prevent those who have opted into the settlement from receiving their share of the funds as well. Unraveling this settlement now could seriously undermine the support for much needed efforts to combat the opioid crisis at one of the lowest points in this fight.

Despite years of litigation very little has improved in the fight against illicit opioids, as evidenced by the over 90,000 drug overdose deaths experienced in the United States last year. At the end of the day, it will be the combined efforts of law enforcement and the medical community that will help end the opioid crisis once and for all. Our attention should be directed towards winning this fight.

Stephen J. Arnold Sr. is a retired Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Detective, serving 13 years as a Narcotics Detective with Portsmouth and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force. He is currently the New Hampshire State Director for the New England Police Benevolent Association and was formerly the President of the NH Police Association.

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