Two decades ago, methamphetamine was tearing through our communities and devastating Nevada families. The meth crisis was a big reason why I decided to run for Attorney General of Nevada. During my time as AG, I worked closely with law enforcement in both the United States and Mexico to go after meth manufacturers,
limit the sale of chemicals that can be used as ingredients for meth, and combat cross-border drug trafficking.
Our police are still working hard to hold meth manufacturers and traffickers accountable. But now, Nevadans and Americans across the country are dealing with another major drug crisis. Since June of 2022, Nevada has seen an almost 50% increase in opioid overdoses. Fentanyl and other opioids like it are a danger to our families, our neighborhoods, and our first responders.
Unfortunately, in recent years, we’ve seen fentanyl take a similar trajectory to meth. Communities across Nevada have been impacted by fentanyl. That’s why, in the Senate, it’s been my priority to work with agencies across Nevada to crack down on the flow of fentanyl and other opioids into our neighborhoods.
Drug traffickers use multiple channels to funnel opioids into our communities, and we have to tackle all of them to combat this crisis. Just last month, I visited our southern border and saw firsthand the need to fund new technology to crack down on drug trafficking. That’s why I’ve worked with Reno law enforcement to make sure our agencies have the tools they need to better communicate with each other, hire more staff, and install technology to detect and deter drug smuggling at ports of entry. I’ve also supported legislation that recently passed the Senate, the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which would crack down on fentanyl traffickers and restrict the fentanyl supply chain.
Separately, we have to contend with new, dangerous drugs that are hitting the streets, like xylazine. Xylazine is an animal tranquilizer (hence its nickname, “tranq”) that drug traffickers have been adding to fentanyl to increase the potency of the drug and boost their profits – with horrifying side effects. It’s also extremely deadly.
Once I heard about xylazine and its effects, I knew we had to get out ahead of it. After several conversations with agencies across the state of Nevada, I introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation in Congress to treat the illicit use of xylazine as a Schedule III drug and give the Drug Enforcement Agency and local law enforcement the resources they need to get this destructive drug off our streets, all while protecting its use as a veterinary tranquilizer for our ranchers who need it. This is how we control and combat these harmful substances.
Fentanyl has torn families apart and claimed the lives of far too many Nevadans. While it’s critical that we get these drugs off our streets and hold their manufacturers and traffickers accountable, we also need to ensure Nevadans who are struggling with substance issues are getting the support they need to turn their lives around. In 2022, I was proud to support one of Congress’ largest investments in mental health services in history, but our work is not done. I will keep pushing to ensure Nevadans are getting the mental health support they need and to combat the stigma associated with opioid addiction. The most important thing is keeping our families safe, and that includes helping people battling addiction to overcome and put themselves back on track. That’s how we tackle this crisis, and that’s what I’m going to continue fighting to do.
