My name is Jenna.

My family, my loved ones, and I have all been directly touched by addiction.

We are not unique; millions of others along with their family & loved ones struggle with the daily consequence of this disease. It remains a harsh reality that society often views addiction as a choice, even now, rather than the true medical disease that it is. Unfortunately, despite the mountain of evidence that the "War on Drugs" has disastrously failed, most of our Republican leaders seem to believe that the path forward is to continue to deny objective reality--that addiction is, in fact, a disease rather than an individual "choice" and in continuing to fight addiction as a war on the supply & provision of drugs, limiting both the legal and illicit supply of drugs such as fentanyl, an even worse drug has made its way onto our streets as an adulterant and in direct consequence; xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer that causes skin & tissue necrosis and can end in circulatory collapse, amputation of limbs and death. In the Northeast US alone over 90% of the street supply of fentanyl has been laced with xylazine, especially in areas such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Jersey & New York, making it virtually unavoidable for individuals trying to stay alive while struggling to recover from addiction. 

It may surprise you even more to learn that this began with Trump Administration policies both prior to and during the COVID pandemic during his first term. In barring fentanyl imports from China & focusing on eliminating fentanyl from reaching the nation via the southern border, the street supply and legal supply of fentanyl became so limited that street dealers, knowing full well that demand had outstripped supply, themselves became desperate to provide. Xylazine had been a known substitute in Puerto Rico previously that had sufficed when the supply of fentanyl had become limited; this idea for extending the current supply then began to spread to the Continental United States, at first in a very limited way--until COVID. Lockdown, combined with the already-nonexistent supply of legal & illicit fentanyl was enough to push the supply over the edge. People began appearing in hospitals covered in necrotic wounds ulcers, in many cases that had compromised the full use of the limb. In extreme cases the limb had been eaten away entirely, exposing the bone & tendons while the end of the limb just hung off. Horrified, doctors began scrambling to figure out what was happening as the patient count began to rise. 

 

 

Eventually, it became evident that xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer not approved for human use, primarily used on large animals such as horses, was responsible for the majority of the wounds that had appeared. Even worse, xylazine is a sedative, not an opiate, meaning that the opioid-reversal drug Narcan had no effect on individuals who had used it. 

Xylazine-adulterated fentanyl began to spread through the entire Northeast and parts of the Midwest and the South, especially in Florida, where free wound care clinics were inundated. In Philadelphia alone several studies were published that were based on individuals being admitted to hospitals & free clinics as medical providers attempted to understand what was happening around them while sharing information.

It never went away. It never got better.  Now, here we are again, at an inflection point where to continue to deny the objective reality around us and to deny funding to the only places capable of providing treatment will mean death, not to hundreds, but to tens of thousands of people. 

It is with this backdrop that I reach out to you today, urging you to confront the Trump Administration's drastic move to cancel $11.4 Billion in Covid-era funds designated for addiction and mental health treatment. This step is not just regressive, it is brutal, threatening a significant portion of our population grappling with addiction in areas where resources are already heavily-stressed with officials who would prefer to ignore the issue entirely rather than face the significant, unalterable consequences of such a drastic decision.

Statistics say it all. In 2019 alone, nearly 71,000 people died from an overdose in the U.S., marking a significant increase from the prior year (CDC, 2020). The problem only threatens to escalate without necessary funding. Taking away these funds not only endangers those suffering from addiction, it sends a powerful and devastating message that our government does not value its peoples' lives, health, and well-being, not only for addicts themselves, but their families, loved ones and all others who have been touched by addiction's devastating toll. 

Therefore, we must implore that our national leaders in Congress and our local representatives refuse such action and reaffirm the need for this critical funding. Let us remind  our government that it is meant to serve the people even in their darkest hours, even if the President would prefer they not.

 

 

 

SIGN THIS PETITION TODAY. Stand with us in demanding the continuation of the $11.4 Billion in funds for addiction treatment nationally. Let this be our united call. 

Addiction is a disease with no cure. Denying the reality of desperate people only ensures more desperation. The ending of these funds prematurely would precipitate a nationwide health crisis far worse than any that has existed before now. Stop this now. Demand accountability from our leaders--before it is too late. Before even more die. Now.

YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION HERE:

Trump Team Revokes $11.4B In Funding For Addiction, Mental Health Care​

Xylazine co-occurrence with illicit fentanyl is a growing threat in the Deep South: a retrospective study of decedent data​

Xylazine-associated Wounds: Clinical Experience From a Low-barrier Wound Care Clinic in Philadelphia​

A confirmed case of xylazine-induced skin ulcers in a person who injects drugs in Miami, Florida, USA​

Xylazine awareness and attitudes among people who use drugs in Ohio, 2023–2024​

Tracking “Tranq” Laws: The state of policy responses to the growing xylazine crisis​

Understanding The Crisis: The Disease of Addiction (Indiana University)