Advocates say the opioid overdose crisis is a binational issue requiring joint action from the U.S. and Mexico.
About 80% of overdose deaths in the U.S. are from opioids, primarily illegal fentanyl, according to a Center for Disease Control report published this week. KPBS health reporter health reporter Heidi de Marco says the study coincides with International Overdose Awareness Day.Two 6-foot-tall empty chairs displayed on either side of the U.S.-Mexico border represent loss from overdoses. One was placed at Waterfront Park in San Diego and the other at the Monumental Arch in Tijuana.
“So what we want to do is take the empty chair, which is a symbol that, you know, different groups both in the U.S. and Mexico, have used to symbolize the missing loved ones precisely on this day,” she said.Farfán said the display is a call to action for the U.S. and Mexico to work together to address the health and safety of border communities.
The U.S. is confronting a public health crisis driven by illicit fentanyl. And Mexico faces significant challenges related to harm reduction and treatment. About 80% of overdose deaths in the U.S. are from opioids, primarily illegal fentanyl, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Preventionprovide methadone — a medication used to treat addiction to opioids — including dozens in San Diego County. Farfán said there is only one methadone clinic in Tijuana.
“Unfortunately, there was a shortage at the border and then they went back to the black market to source substances,” Farfán said. “There were reports from these organizations that provide services in Mexico ... that they did lose a lot of people to overdoses as well.
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