Bernalillo County Weighs Fentanyl Emergency Declaration

Bernalillo County commissioners are weighing an emergency declaration in response to a fentanyl crisis that has made the county New Mexico’s deadliest for overdoses, even as deaths decline nationally. County officials say the measure could unlock funding and state assistance for expanded street medicine, detox, treatment, recovery and harm-reduction services, as well as real-time overdose tracking and efforts to connect people leaving jail with care. The proposal also includes publicizing the 988 crisis line and strengthening law-enforcement operations targeting drug trafficking along major interstate routes. People living with addiction and homelessness describe frequent overdoses, fear of dying and barriers to treatment when programs require sobriety before offering help, underscoring calls for services that engage people where they are.