Yakima's Fentanyl Crisis & 3 Easy Things YOU Can Do About It

This post is One Crackima's synopsis and response to an article published by KIMA on August 25, 2023. The article was originally titled "Yakima faces fentanyl crisis, local voices speak up at Senator Cantwell's discussion," and was written by Hunter Phipps.

What was KIMA's Fentanyl Article About?

KIMA reported that Senator Maria Cantwell held a roundtable discussion this month in Yakima regarding the national fentanyl crisis. The discussion included law enforcement, members of community support organizations, and individuals with lived experiences around fentanyl addiction.

What Yakima Locals are Saying about Fentanyl

Shondra Wells, a local resident: "I just got stuck in this vortex everyday of use to live, live to use."

Cassidy Lewis, Director of Intensive Impatient Services at Triumph Treatment Services, described that some of the patients they see now are using 20-50 pills a day. In 2019, patients using 2-4 pills a day was considered excessive.

• Related to this point: Senator Cantwell cited research stating the average price of fentanyl in Yakima is around $1.35 per pill.

Alicia Stromme Tobin, the Executive Director of Safe Yakima Valley, advocated for trying to teach the youth more about life skills and for having an increased presence in schools.

New Laws Around Fentanyl & Other Drugs

Sheriff Robert Udell was also part of the discussion. KIMA asked what he thought about Washington State's new drug laws:

"[The law is] a good start. I think where that law helps is that it introduces accountability at the user level. Very often, the only time someone that's really deep into the drug culture can get help is when they're arrested."

The law being referred to here is likely Senate Bill 5536. The bill's most current language states:

• "Possession of a controlled substance and possession of a counterfeit substance are classified as gross misdemeanor crimes and carry a potential maximum sentence of 364 days in jail, a $5,000 fine, or both.
• Possession of a legend drug and possession of an ounce or more of cannabis, or possession of any amount of cannabis for individuals under 21 years of age, remain misdemeanor crimes and carry a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both."

Senator Maria Cantwell's Proposed Solution & Next Steps

According to KIMA, Senator Cantwell proposed a federal task force as a solution to the fentanyl problem. The task force would be similar to what we had during the methamphetamine crisis, but it would work with local and tribal law enforcement. The goal would be to build a response team that could address fentanyl trafficking.

Senator Cantwell mentioned that some fentanyl legislation had recently passed the Senate, and is waiting to be voted on by the House of Representatives. Her next steps include working on a bill more centered around treatments and support.

Additional Research Required...

At One Crackima, we felt a need to conduct a little more research before giving you our hot take (and we reserve that right joyously). No offense to KIMA – they laid good groundwork – but we didn't feel their article gave much background information, so we sought out some clarifying details on Senator Cantwell's discussion and fentanyl legislation/stats.

Who was at the Yakima Fentanyl Meeting?

Most elected members of government have a groupie or two that handle press releases. These public documents give the press (and the people) a small chronicle of what elected officials are doing at any given time.

According to her press release on the Yakima meeting, Senator Cantwell has been holding "roundtable discussions" on the fentanyl crisis across the state since May – Yakima was the ninth discussion. Our roundtable actually included a lot of key figures from the community, including:

• Bob Harrison –  City Manager
• Robert Udell – County Sheriff
• Aaron Markham – Fire Chief
• James Shike – Yakama Nation Public Safety Commissioner
• Representatives from Triumph Treatment Services, the Yakima County Health District, Yakima Therapeutic/Drug Court, Safe Yakima Valley, Ideal Option, and Comprehensive Healthcare.
• Three individuals with lived experience of fentanyl addiction.

Overall, not a bad group of people. There are some names and groups we were surprised weren't involved in the discussion, though. More on that later.

What Legislation is Senator Cantwell Talking About?

KIMA mentioned a recent bill that had passed the Senate and was awaiting a vote in the House. We believe this is referring to the "FEND Off Fentanyl" Act (shorter version here).

According to an earlier press release in July, Senator Cantwell said the FEND Off Fentanyl Act will enhance current laws. This means government agencies can disrupt illicit opioid supply chains and penalize fentanyl trafficking. The Act also allows the U.S. to declare the trafficking of fentanyl as a national emergency.

Interestingly, the FEND Off Fentanyl Act is part of the larger National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This suggests we're now treating the fentanyl crisis as a matter of national security.

The Act also calls out 8 different cartels as "transnational criminal organizations." We'll include their names below because we've never heard of them:

1. Sinaloa Cartel
2. Jalisco New Generation Cartel
3. Gulf Cartel
4. Los Zetas Cartel
5. Juarez Cartel
6. Tijuana Cartel
7. Beltran-Leyva Cartel
8. La Familia Michoacana

How Bad is the Fentanyl Crisis in Washington & Yakima?

According to the CDC, Washington State experienced a 21.4% increase in overdose deaths from February 2022 to February 2023. When we checked the stats for March 2022 to March 2023, the increase was actually up to 25.4%.

Washington state is experiencing the highest increase of overdose deaths in the nation, with the next worst states being Oregon and Nevada at 15-16% increases.

In June, the University of Washington reported that 90% of all opioid overdoses in our state now involve fentanyl, and it is involved in 65% of all opioid deaths.

According to KIMA's article, fentanyl deaths in Yakima County are up by 250% from 2018 to 2021.

The Yakima County Coroner's annual report for 2022 states there was a total of 81 accidental overdose deaths. 43 of these deaths occurred from fentanyl alone, and 10 more utilized a combination of fentanyl and meth.

One Crackima's Hot Take on the Fentanyl Article

Now that we've discussed a little more of the background behind KIMA's article, we'll give you our opinion and some of our own research.

Who WASN'T at the Yakima Fentanyl Meeting?

The first thing we discussed what who was in Senator Cantwell's meeting. Who did she choose to involve? Who chose to show up?

Upon consideration, we're really surprised the following people and organizations weren't present:

1. Matthew Murray (Yakima Chief of Police) | There was no representation from the Yakima Police Department. Of all the first responders witnessing the fentanyl crisis firsthand, YPD is definitely the one. For obvious reasons, we would have liked to see YPD there.
2. Jim Curtice (County Coroner) | The coroner has been very outspoken in the media about our fentanyl crisis since at least 2020. We're not saying he should have been there, but we're surprised he wasn't.
3. Homelessness & Community Health | We were also really surprised that no one from Yakima's prominent homelessness organizations attended (i.e. the Union Gospel Mission, Camp Hope, Rod's House, etc.). The same is true of our community health organizations like Neighborhood Health, Community Health of Central Washington, or the Farm Workers Clinic.
4. School Administrators & Board Members | While entering the school system to engage in preventative education was mentioned at the meeting, there was no representation from our schools. If this crisis is as bad as it sounds – and we believe it is – we need to be engaging those in charge of our children (families most of all). This is where generational prevention begins.
5. Hospital & Ambulance | The Fire Department had a presence, along with treatment centers, but it seemed like the meeting was missing people within the first responder medical community. Often, EMT's, paramedics, nurses, and doctors are caring for people who have overdosed before they transfer to treatment centers. If we're talking to those with lived addiction experiences, we should also be seeking the advice of those who are caring for them at every level of recovery.

Will Federal Fentanyl Legislation Trickle Down to Yakima?

Senator Cantwell was a co-sponsor of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act. It's very reassuring to see a federal official holding meetings and sourcing grassroots ideas; she's been doing this since May.

That being said, the FEND Off Fentanyl Act is a federal bill, not a local one. It's perfectly reasonable to ask whether this legislation will trickle down to us on an everyday level.

With Senate Bill 5536, Washington State is seeking to first divert those using fentanyl into treatment. The problem we're having is that Yakima's available institutions – treatment centers and jails – can't keep up. Placement can be even more complicated if the individual has additional mental health issues, which is quite common.

Part of the Act focuses on mobilizing government agencies. One of the main agencies involved would be the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). We actually have two local DEA branches, one in Yakima and one in the Tri-Cities. Giving these agencies a little more...agency? Well, that could reduce the amount of drugs on the streets.

Only time will tell whether Senator Cantwell's bill is effective in this regard.

Why Should Yakima Take the Fentanyl Crisis Seriously?

To answer this, we did a little math on the Yakima County Coroner's numbers from 2022.

In 2022, there were 53 total overdose deaths involving fentanyl. As opposed to:

• 50 deaths due to motor vehicles.
• 34 homicides (25 of which involved gunshot wounds).
• 29 suicides (19 of which involved suicide by firearm).

3 Things the Average Person Can Do About Fentanyl in Yakima

Narcotics Anonymous would say the first step to fixing a problem is admitting there is one. From the federal level, down to the local, we've admitted there is a fentanyl problem in Yakima. So what can YOU do about it?

1. Don't get caught unprepared.

Narcan is becoming publicly available. We recommend obtaining some and learning how to use it.

If you're one of those people who says, "Meh, all addicts deserve to die"...fine, but get some Narcan just in case. Accidental contact is a REAL problem; it's not always people who use. Sometimes, it's children who get exposed in a public restroom that was hotboxed earlier, or a first responder who was investigating to keep you safe, or a teacher or nurse who checks a backpack.

...and who knows? You might have a change of heart while someone's dying on the floor.

2. Push for responsible legislation and education.

Our society and institutions can't keep up with just treating addiction. We need to go after those dealing drugs, and we need to educate our children about the issue.

If you find local legislation that's increasing the penalty for dealing drugs, support it. If you find legislation that wants to reasonably (that's a key word) assist institutions for treatment or educate our children, support it. If you find a nonprofit that wants to stop drug trafficking, support it.

Where you put your support matters!

3. Tell your stories.

We said it before in our article on Sound of Freedom, but your story matters!

If you've beaten drug addiction or are working on it, find a platform and talk about your journey. If you've worked in a support setting (law enforcement, treatment centers, courts, medicine, etc.), tell your elected officials what you need and tell the public what you're seeing. If you're a parent, educate your children because that's where prevention really starts.

It's bold, but if you're hellbent on taking down a dealer or cartel, know the laws, document what's going on, engage the right people, and tell us how that journey went.

The original article from KIMA can be found here.
If KIMA has moved it, One Crackima's hard copy is here.

Additional Hard Copy Sources