A Deadly Crisis Demands Bold Action
Fentanyl is ripping apart North Carolina, leaving behind broken families and devastated communities. This synthetic drug fuels overdoses that kill our young adults at alarming rates. Governor Josh Stein’s push for a Fentanyl Control Unit offers hope, but talk is cheap. To stop the cartels flooding our state, North Carolina needs a fierce, law-enforcement-driven strategy that hits traffickers hard.
The toll is heartbreaking. From October 2023 to September 2024, the CDC recorded 87,000 overdose deaths across the U.S., with fentanyl as the primary culprit. In North Carolina, parents like Debbie Dalton, who lost her son, plead for change. How long will we let this poison claim lives before we act decisively?
Stein’s 2025-2027 budget includes funds for a team of prosecutors and investigators to tackle fentanyl trafficking. It’s a solid start, but it falls short without a full commitment to border security, harsh penalties, and relentless interdiction. Our state must prioritize stopping the drug at its source.
Why Law Enforcement Must Lead
For years, some leaders have funneled resources into addiction treatment while traffickers run rampant. Helping those struggling with addiction matters, but the real battle lies in choking off the drug supply. A law-enforcement-first approach, rooted in accountability, is the only way to protect our communities.
The evidence backs this up. Mexican cartels, using precursor chemicals from China, pump fentanyl into the U.S. In 2024, DHS seized 13,000 pounds of the drug and 1,500 pill presses, revealing the scale of these networks. President Trump’s tariffs—25 percent on Mexico, 10 percent on China—target the economic roots of this trade. North Carolina needs to adopt a similarly aggressive stance.
Stein’s proposed unit could make a difference, but only with robust powers. Wiretaps, federal partnerships, and task forces are essential. Virginia’s strategy, blending trade disruption and strict penalties, slashed fentanyl deaths by 44 percent in a year. North Carolina has no excuse to lag behind.
Treatment Alone Won’t Stop the Flood
Advocates for harm reduction—naloxone distribution, test strips, or expanded treatment—argue these save lives. While well-intentioned, such measures fail to address the core issue: an unending supply of fentanyl. The Biden administration’s $21.8 billion for treatment in 2025 may help some, but it leaves cartels untouched, free to keep poisoning our streets.
North Carolina’s $1.5 billion in opioid settlement funds already supports local recovery efforts, yet overdoses continue. Expanding buprenorphine prescribers, as a recent bipartisan law allows, aids recovery but does nothing to stop the influx. Why invest in bandages when we can shut off the wound?
The fight belongs on the front lines. Stein’s unit must focus on prosecution and interdiction, not secondary measures. Cartels thrive on profit, not compassion. By targeting their operations with unyielding force, we can shrink the crisis at its source.
Lawmakers Hold the Key
The North Carolina legislature faces a critical choice. Will they fully fund Stein’s Fentanyl Control Unit and equip it to dismantle trafficking networks? Or will they hesitate, leaving our communities exposed? The House must pass a budget that empowers law enforcement with the resources to win this fight.
Past efforts show what’s possible. Since the 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act, federal and state programs—HIDTA grants, DEA collaborations, and specialized units—have disrupted drug networks. North Carolina’s unit could amplify this, using wiretap authority and crime lab expertise to target major traffickers. Delay only costs more lives.
This is about safeguarding our families and our future. Lawmakers must reject weak policies and back a unit that confronts fentanyl with unwavering resolve. Anything less fails the people of North Carolina.
A Clear Path to Victory
North Carolina can defeat fentanyl, but only with courage and clarity. A well-funded Fentanyl Control Unit, grounded in a commitment to law and order, offers a way forward. It’s time to block the drug’s entry, punish those responsible, and restore safety to our streets.
The proof is undeniable: strict borders, severe penalties, and aggressive interdiction deliver results. Virginia’s success, Trump’s trade policies, and decades of federal task forces demonstrate this. North Carolina must act with equal determination, giving law enforcement the tools to protect our state.
Our communities deserve action, not excuses. Fund the unit. Strengthen the fight. Save lives. The moment for bold decisions is now.