“No, I think this is a huge source of misinformation and the politicization that is not really based in fact. Here in Arizona, we have just average rates of opioid overdose. I hear this argument all the time: that because fentanyl is coming from Mexico and it’s coming through the border, Arizona is going to be flooded with fentanyl. But that’s just not what we’re seeing. It’s just very average levels.”
Respectfully, it’s just average so not to worry? Average compared to what? Other border states? All 50 states? Other countries? If it were not to be politicized would it be OK? Can average here be above average elsewhere? According to the Commonwealth Fund and other sources the U.S. has the highest fentanyl death rate worldwide. But Arizona is OK because it’s just average here compared to some unknown place somewhere else. My comment and questions do not mean I support any political position. It means we now seem to be so cavalier about it that a doctor can say it’s just average, which for some implies there’s no reason to be concerned.
Hi Tim, thanks for your comment. My interpretation of Dr. Glenn’s answer to that question was not a lack of concern or worry for people affected by the opioid crisis, but rather an effort to dispel misinformation that the borderlands are areas of high drug use relative to the rest of the US. The average she refers to is the US average. I hope that clarification is helpful.
Hi Tim, thanks for your comment. Just piggybacking on Caroline's reply. I think what Dr. Glenn is referring to is the conflation of immigration with drug enforcement where Trump and others have said that migrants are flooding the border with fentanyl, which isn't the case. But this rhetoric is used to introduce military deployments to border communities. I found this report very helpful in clarifying what is actually happening at the border regarding fentanyl https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/fact-sheet/fentanyl-smuggling/
RE: The Border, Fentanyl and Dr. Glenn
“No, I think this is a huge source of misinformation and the politicization that is not really based in fact. Here in Arizona, we have just average rates of opioid overdose. I hear this argument all the time: that because fentanyl is coming from Mexico and it’s coming through the border, Arizona is going to be flooded with fentanyl. But that’s just not what we’re seeing. It’s just very average levels.”
Respectfully, it’s just average so not to worry? Average compared to what? Other border states? All 50 states? Other countries? If it were not to be politicized would it be OK? Can average here be above average elsewhere? According to the Commonwealth Fund and other sources the U.S. has the highest fentanyl death rate worldwide. But Arizona is OK because it’s just average here compared to some unknown place somewhere else. My comment and questions do not mean I support any political position. It means we now seem to be so cavalier about it that a doctor can say it’s just average, which for some implies there’s no reason to be concerned.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Hi Tim, thanks for your comment. My interpretation of Dr. Glenn’s answer to that question was not a lack of concern or worry for people affected by the opioid crisis, but rather an effort to dispel misinformation that the borderlands are areas of high drug use relative to the rest of the US. The average she refers to is the US average. I hope that clarification is helpful.
Hi Tim, thanks for your comment. Just piggybacking on Caroline's reply. I think what Dr. Glenn is referring to is the conflation of immigration with drug enforcement where Trump and others have said that migrants are flooding the border with fentanyl, which isn't the case. But this rhetoric is used to introduce military deployments to border communities. I found this report very helpful in clarifying what is actually happening at the border regarding fentanyl https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/fact-sheet/fentanyl-smuggling/
We just republished your good article in English and also did a Spanish translation in Havana Times. Here are the links.
https://havanatimes.org/interviews/the-borderlands-are-not-flooded-with-fentanyl/
https://havanatimesenespanol.org/entrevistas/las-tierras-fronterizas-no-estan-inundadas-de-fentanilo/
Best regards, Circles