Mayor London N. Breed of San Francisco succeeded in garnering support from a bipartisan group of mayors across the country, rallying behind a resolution calling for urgent federal action to combat the fentanyl crisis (via SF Gov). Included among these supporters is San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who fully supports the resolution and believes attention must also be given to implementing involuntary drug treatment programs for those struggling with addiction From The Mercury News.
The resolution urges the Biden Administration to increase its prosecution efforts of high-level fentanyl traffickers and dealers, as well as to collaborate more effectively with local authorities to address the issue. However, San Jose's own issues with fentanyl still desperately need solutions, as the city saw 96 accidental overdose deaths in 2022.
According to Mayor Mahan, enforcement is essential, but the city also needs to focus on getting those struggling with addiction the help they need through involuntary drug treatments. The debate on the best strategy to combat fentanyl – be it punishment, prevention or both – comes at a crucial time for San Jose, as the city deals with a police union official's recent arrest on suspicion of trafficking the drug from China and India.
As fentanyl continues to plague the Bay Area, the need for a comprehensive approach to address the issue cannot be overstated. Fentanyl, an extremely potent synthetic opioid, is about 50 times stronger than heroin and has led to a significant number of overdose deaths in recent years.
While the resolution and San Francisco's efforts to fight fentanyl have garnered significant attention, questions remain regarding how the proposed actions will affect San Jose and the greater Bay Area. In an interview, Mayor Mahan expressed a desire for state assistance, which Governor Gavin Newsom recently provided to San Francisco in the form of California National Guard and Highway Patrol officials. Whether or not San Jose will receive similar resources remains to be seen, but it is clear that the city would greatly benefit from additional support.
Some experts in the medical community, such as Dr. Rachel Sussman, a primary care doctor who specializes in addiction medicine in San Jose, argue that treatment should be prioritized over law enforcement in addressing addiction issues. According to Dr. Sussman, access to addiction treatment is currently extremely limited and inadequate to meet the needs of those struggling with substance use disorders.
San Jose City Councilmember David Cohen supports calling for state assistance in battling fentanyl drug trafficking but also believes that the city's efforts would be better focused on prevention through widespread distribution of Narcan, a life-saving antidote for opioid overdoses (Mercury News). Regardless of the path chosen, one thing is certain – a comprehensive, well-funded approach is needed to tackle the fentanyl crisis in San Jose and across the nation.
