City election questionnaire: Fentanyl crisis

Mayor

Arthur Kerschen

Laws against force and fraud should be strictly enforced. Consenting adults must take full responsibility for their own mistakes. 

Regina Romero

Substance misuse disorder and its consequences were first identified as a public health priority in 2015 in the Pima County Health Needs Assessment. Fentanyl use and the opioid epidemic are real.

As Mayor, I have advocated for funding to support the work we are doing locally and supported the efforts of the Tucson Police Department to compete successfully for federal grants such as the Public Safety Program through the Department of Justice. We need to make sure our commissioned officers and community service officers have the resources and training they need to be able to do this work safely and effectively.

I have supported investing in the Place Networks Investigation program at the City of Tucson that brings together city departments to coordinate efforts to reduce crime and violence in areas that are experiencing the highest rates of crime. I believe reducing poverty through investments in expanding youth employment programs, neighborhoods and parks is an important longer-term strategy.

I continue to support the Community Engagement Division of TPD. I understand that educating our community, especially our children, about fentanyl and opioid use is important. We need to make sure that these resources are in our schools and out in the community.

I continue to advocate for the availability of Narcan and training on how to use it for police officers.

Finally, the City of Tucson, as well as Pima County, will be receiving funds through the Opioid Settlement. It is critical for us to collaborate together, bringing the resources of the City and County together to address this public health crisis

Janet "JL" Wittenbraker

The Nation and/or State of Arizona must take measures to close the Mexico/Arizona border and enact legislation to reclassify fentanyl/opioids as class one narcotics and increase penalties for fentanyl/opioids smugglers and dealers. The City should focus its efforts on education initiatives, community policing and law enforcement.

Ed Ackerley

ENFORCE EXISTING LAWS. Individuals who are addicted to fentanyl need engagement, encouragement, and services. This includes education, enforcement, disruption of supply, accountability, and reduced lawlessness. This is a national and state problem as well, and working with county, state and federal officials, Tucson needs to be at the forefront of engagement to remove the accessible supply, make it harder to be addicted, and provide services to assist addicts to break the cycle.

Ward 1

Victoria Lem

Victoria Lem did not respond to our questionnaire.

Miguel Ortega

This is everyone’s problem, not just the problem of people's addictions or casual drug users. It’s a national crisis, and we must partner with federal, state and local agencies to address it. We need to make sure that our local agencies are properly supported and funded and provide even more support for this specific crisis. My background is in counseling and organizing communities in the area of addiction with an emphasis on prevention. The concept of prevention/education is even more important when it comes to fentanyl, given how dangerous and how easy it is to accidentally be exposed and die from that simple exposure. We need to partner with our schools, social service agencies and prison systems in order to successfully solve or mitigate this serious problem.

Lane Santa Cruz

I lost my older brother George to an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2016. My brother’s sudden death has been a painful reminder that conversations about mental health, generational trauma, and addiction-illness are very needed, despite how scary and vulnerable they are. Acknowledgement and greater public awareness are important first steps to begin to heal. Community education and engagement on this issue will be a focus of my second term. In addition, our city needs harm reduction strategies and community/family support systems to prevent drug misuse and addiction. I will work with my colleagues and public safety workers to develop solutions. Addressing the opioid crisis does not have a Band-Aid solution. 

Ward 2

Paul Cunningham

The Fentanyl epidemic is heartbreaking, and there are a number of things we can do to address the Fentanyl crisis. As a middle school teacher, I gravitate towards ways in which we can better equip our young people for the challenges of adulthood. We need to do a better job of educating our youth about the dangers of fentanyl and other drugs. We also need to do a better job of providing after-school programming for youth to give them productive out-of-school activities. We also need to address the other drivers of the crisis, like poverty and homelessness and continue to offer resources to those who need help.

Lisa Nutt

The first step is admitting that we have a problem. Then, and only then, can we begin to address the number one cause of death for our teenagers. We also need to fully support our law enforcement in arresting those who are breaking the law and prioritize staffing the agencies that treat and transition those members of our community into healthy, productive lives. Some of those agencies are currently operating at less than half their capacity. This is an issue that should have every available resource, including federal, leveraged.

Ernie Shack

Ernie Shack echoed Wittenbraker’s responses

Pendleton Spicer

First and foremost, the laws that exist need to be enforced, and our police force needs to be provided the tools with which to do so. Those who are charged must get their day in court and, if convicted, serve the sentence meted out to them. Ferreting out those who are aiding and abetting the drug flow into our community is imperative. Educating Tucson citizens about the extreme and lethal dangers of fentanyl and opioids need to begin in school classrooms, along with public service messages of all kinds. We need to implement and support policies that do not enable addiction with no personal responsibility. I agree with Tucson Crime Free Coalition that users be offered two choices--treatment or jail.

Ward 4

Ross Kaplowitch

Fentanyl use is truly a crisis in Arizona; I would like to see an emphasis on drug education, preferably coming from the police department and other city services.  Drug education at an early age, combined with strict drug enforcement and cooperation of the city courts to prosecute those who deal drugs to our most vulnerable residents, will send a strong message to drug traffickers that Tucson, Arizona, does not welcome them. 

Nikki Lee

I am extremely concerned about the rise in fentanyl accessibility, use, and fentanyl-related deaths in Tucson and across the nation. The opioid crisis is a complex and multifaceted issue that requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach. Since Pima County and non-profit organizations provide services to address physical healthcare, mental healthcare, and behavioral healthcare, I’ll speak to the City of Tucson’s role in responding to this crisis.

Tucson Police Chief Chad Kasmar recently briefed the Mayor & Council on this topic and shared that fentanyl now costs less than $1 per pill and that 50% of all fentanyl seized in the United States was seized right here in Arizona. Six out of 10 pills that were seized contained a lethal dose of fentanyl. Fentanyl is widely accessible, especially here in Arizona, and we should all be aware of these facts and concerned about this crisis.    

Equipping public safety professionals with the necessary tools and training to respond effectively to fentanyl and opioid-related calls is crucial in saving lives and mitigating the impact of the opioid crisis. By ensuring that our first responders are properly equipped to recognize the signs of overdose, administer life-saving medications like naloxone, and ensure their own safety while handling potent substances, we can enhance their ability to serve the community.

The Tucson Police Department has great working relationships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. These relationships have been leveraged and will continue to be leveraged, to target the distribution and trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit opioids. The more we can keep these substances off the streets, the more lives we can save. We must continue to work with partners to prioritize education, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.