This is a guest opinion column

Addiction is a relentless disease. Judgement, criticism, and misunderstandings compound daily challenges. When our son, Will, died from an overdose, it was a devastating loss. For years, he fought to reclaim his life, but lacked the resources needed to find a sustainable path out of addiction. In his memory, we established the Will Bright Foundation to help others chart a better way forward after rehab, a point at which they are most vulnerable and alone.

With fentanyl taking more than 150 lives every day, it is critical that every tool in the addiction toolbox be available to better fight this generational plague. The South is in peril at this crisis’s hands.

The South is being hit hard by the crisis – Georgia’s total number of opioid-related overdose fatalities rose 101% between 2019 and 2021, and those deaths attributed to fentanyl increased 124% during the same period. Based in Alabama, we see how America’s Southern states continue to be hit especially hard by the opioid epidemic. In 2021, nearly 70% of overdose deaths were opioid related. Tennessee ranks second in overdose deaths, reflecting an astonishing 446% increase in deaths from fentanyl between 2017 and 2021. Texas saw a 500% increase in fentanyl-related deaths between 2019 and 2022. More than 2,140 Virginians died from opioid overdoses in 2022 – a 274% increase since 2012.

The impact of fentanyl is as heartbreaking as it is devastating, which is why protecting our communities must be a priority. Most people aren’t aware that each state issues its own individual policy, called a standing order, to ensure the availability of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved reversal agents for opioid overdoses. Many states have updated their standing orders to allow for new formulas, ensuring access to the most effective overdose medications – but some still prevent access, only allowing one formula despite innovation on new reversal agents that can help combat the crisis. We are calling on every state to act now and commit to saving lives by ensuring that community members have access to all FDA-approved opioid reversal agents. It’s just common sense.

What only a few years ago was an opioid crisis is now a fentanyl crisis, and our elected officials and health policy leaders must act. Those on the frontlines – police officers, firefighters, college campuses personnel, and rural healthcare providers – are not getting the resources they need to combat this massive wave of overdoses and deaths.

Drugs are an evil that trick people when they are at their weakest. At our lowest point, an easy high that makes pain, sadness, frustration, or a sense of being unworthy go away is seductive. However, with love, support, and the right resources, lives can be saved and changed.

We know firsthand the devastating consequences of just one overdose, but also know the power of creating solutions to help others survive. Raise your voice and call on your state’s representatives to ensure access to all FDA-approved opioid reversal agents now.

Lisa Bright is a member of the Trussville City Council