The fentanyl-fueled overdose crisis is both heartbreaking and terrifying. It has devastated communities — rural and urban, across all races and socioeconomic backgrounds. We know this pain both professionally and personally. One of us served as an American defense official and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics and Stabilization Policy, working to combat drug trafficking. The other leads the Drug Policy Alliance, having lost a family member to overdose and fighting daily for solutions that save lives. Though our experiences differ, we are united in one goal: preventing addiction and keeping people safe.

In 2024, annual overdose deaths fell nearly 27%, the largest single-year decrease ever recorded. These aren’t just numbers. They represent people revived from opioi

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