State Of Denial: The Joys Of Living In Alaska Should Not Include Dying Of Fentanyl

We Have The Biggest Glaciers, The Tallest Mountains...

And More People Per Capita Die Of Drug Overdoses In Alaska Than Anywhere Else In America 

Alaskans pride ourselves in our common sense. We look at our surrounding world and see ourselves as adventurers, living a clean and healthy life. But Alaska has a darker side that is hard to come to terms with. Right now, Alaskans are leading the entire nation in the number of people, per hundred, who are dying of drug overdoses. 

 

During the first three months of this year, over twice as much fentanyl has been seized in Alaska than all of last year, says the state. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that drug dealers cut into "regular" opiods and then sell to Alaskans who are addicted.

 

It's about a hundred times more powerful than other drugs. Deaths from drugs are on the rise in Alaska, and the state says that around 75% of the deaths are due to fentanyl.

Unfortunately, many people have not been aware of all this. 

 

The Alaska State Troopers do not seem to report fentanyl deaths in their Trooper reports. So people throughout Alaska are not aware of specific incidents or neighbors who have died.

SEE EARLIER JOURNAL STORY ON FENTANYL