Mandatory minimum sentences are not the answer

Idaho has a fentanyl crisis on its hands. According to Get Healthy Idaho, in 2021, Idaho Health District 6 (which includes Bannock County) had the highest overdose rate per capita in Idaho at 26 overdose deaths/100,000 residents. This was a substantial increase from 2020, which had 16 overdose deaths/100,000 residents. This sudden increase has been attributed to fentanyl. In 2022, this number decreased to 19 deaths/100,000 residents, making our district more comparable to others in the state. Many attribute this decrease in overdose deaths to increased access to naloxone and a $2 million grant from the CDC.

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