The proposed declaration would unlock funds for detox, street medicine, and law enforcement operations as families battle addiction on the streets.
BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. —
While overdose deaths are dropping nationwide, New Mexico is moving in the opposite direction, with Bernalillo County recording the most drug overdose deaths in the state.
Bernalillo County commissioners are scheduled to vote Wednesday night on whether to declare a fentanyl crisis, a decision that would direct more funding toward the local response.
For individuals unhoused and living on the streets, the struggle to achieve sobriety remains an uphill battle. Regina and her two daughters have survived living on the street for four years. Every morning, Regina hopes her daughters will break the cycle.
“For those who go through withdrawals and all that, their body’s hurting every day. I pray for them. I don’t want my kids to die because of this,” Regina said.
Regina said her daughters use drugs to numb their pain.
“They say it’s to numb them. And to not feel the world and not to feel the pain,” Regina said.
Her daughter, Michelle, is relatively new to using fentanyl and said surviving has become a daily routine.
“My mom has been through it trying to bring me back,” Michelle said.
Michelle expressed fear about her continued drug use.
“I’m scared. I’m scared. Every time I go and get high, I’m scared that that (overdose death) just might happen because you don’t know what would get you to stop,” Michelle said.
Michelle said she wants to get off the street through a program, but current programs demand sobriety before providing assistance, leaving her feeling as though every door is closed.
“I got to figure this out, like real soon to get off the streets, whether that’s a program,” Michelle said. “There’s a lot of money that is wasted because I feel like they should accept us being addicts. And then from there, work with us on getting sober”
Bernalillo County officials say the proposed emergency declaration aims to meet people where they are.
“We are in large need of detox because when somebody is ready, that’s the moment that we need to be able to intervene. And if we say, well, come back when you’re ten days clean, that means that their families are caring for them. That means somebody else is trying to help detox them by looking up on Google.” Bernalillo County Commission Chair Adriann Barboa said.
If passed, the emergency declaration would unlock revenue to immediately expand resources. County officials intend to implement several initiatives with the funds, including real-time overdose mapping to detect surges, expansion of outreach workers, launching a 911 public awareness campaign, and strengthening recovery programs at the Metropolitan Detention Center.
“We will increase street outreach and street medical services provided by UNM Street Medicine, Albuquerque Health Care for the homeless,” Barboa said. “Declaring an emergency must be followed by action, as we will all do. Our commitment is to continue taking fentanyl off our streets and letting it victimize our communities,” Barboa added.
Law enforcement officials are also addressing the crisis. Interstate 25 and Interstate 40 serve as main corridors for drug cartels and dealers supplying Bernalillo County and the rest of the country. On Tuesday, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office launched “Operation Street Shield” to disrupt drug networks before supplies reach local streets.
“We’re going after the organization supplying fentanyl, not stopping at the person selling it on a street corner,” Sheriff John Allen said. “We are in conversations now, just not with the DEA, but with the FBI to conduct some more investigations and some street outreach here.”
For mothers like Regina, the hope is that help arrives before it is too late.
“I just want to make sure they’re still breathing. There are so many people out here that they have nobody, like, nobody cares for them,” Regina said.
A final vote on the emergency declaration is expected before the commissioners’ Wednesday night meeting concludes.
