DALLAS (NewsNation) — While most Americans want tighter control of opioids, a recent survey showed they differ on the best approach to tackling the drug crisis.
Concerns continue to grow over the fentanyl crisis in America, and the research group “Morning Consult Pro” found that Americans tend to fall along political parties when it comes to finding solutions, whether it includes more surveillance at the southern border or more addiction treatment and harm reduction options.
The survey showed Republican voters tend to think of the fentanyl crisis as a border security issue, while Democrat voters consider it as more of a health issue. And then there are the select few who believe to really solve this crisis, both solutions are needed.
Fentanyl continues to steal the lives of Americans across the nation. Around 1,500 Americans die every week at the hands of opioids like fentanyl, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
One of those victims: Hasan Williams, whose mother is heartbroken by the sudden loss of her son.
“Families are being hurt. Mothers crying about their children,” Carolyn Williams said. “I’m devastated about my son.”
More than half of the Republicans surveyed want to send more resources to the U.S.-Mexico border, while Democrats showed more interest in treating opioid addicts, the survey discovered.
“From a supply side, this is an industry where lots of profit can be made on the demand side. There’s a lot of demand out there for these drugs,” Kenneth Gray, senior lecturer at the University of New Haven, said. “This problem has to be addressed on both the supply side and the demand side.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported it has seized close to 24,000 lbs of fentanyl this fiscal year, which is up from roughly 10,000 this time last year.
The survey shows voters in border states feel the fentanyl crisis more directly.
For instance, in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott signed several bills into law to try to crack down on the issue, such as requiring the overdose antidote Narcan on college campuses, classifying fentanyl-related deaths as poisonings and granting the possibility to charge drug dealers with murder.
But some believe more needs to be done with treatment and harm reduction, such as legalizing fentanyl test strips.
The Biden administration recently allocated $450 million to go toward prevention, treatment and recovery services as well as cracking down on the illegal drug trade.
The Brookings Institute reported the majority of fentanyl is seized at official border crossings from people crossing legally.
