Rising Above Addiction: The Fight Against Fentanyl in America

Kayla first tried fentanyl as a troubled 18-year-old, growing up in the US state of North Carolina. I felt like literally amazing. The voices in my head just completely went silent. I got instantly addicted, she remembers.

The little blue pills Kayla became hooked on were probably made in Mexico and then smuggled across the border to the US - a deadly trade that President Donald Trump was trying to crack down on. In 2023, there were over 110,000 drug-related deaths in the US. The march of fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin, seemed unstoppable.

But by 2024, the number of fatal overdoses in the US fell by around 25%. That's nearly 30,000 fewer deaths – a saving of dozens of lives every day. North Carolina is at the forefront of this change, primarily due to its commitment to harm reduction strategies, including law enforcement-assisted diversion programs.

Kayla, no longer taking street drugs, reflects on her journey as a client of an innovative program in Fayetteville that helps divert those struggling with addiction from the criminal justice system into recovery.

Her experience illustrates the power of community support and innovative treatment to combat the crisis.