SALISBURY, N.C. โ The fentanyl crisis tearing through North Carolina isnโt just a public safety threat โ itโs personal. At a high-level roundtable this week in Salisbury, that reality hit home as lawmakers, prosecutors, and grieving families joined forces to demand action.
Congressman Addison McDowell, who convened the meeting, opened with a message that carried more weight than politics.
โGetting it off our streets is just the first step,โ McDowell said. โProsecuting those who profit from fentanyl is a major step as well.โ
For McDowell, the fight is more than a policy priority โ itโs a personal mission. His younger brother died from a fentanyl overdose, a tragedy that inspired his run for Congress.
โWe want to stop the deaths that come with this poison,โ he told the room, surrounded by district attorneys, sheriffs, and special agents.
Among the voices calling for change was Barbara Walsh, founder of the Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina. She clutched a photo of her daughter, Sophia, as she told the story no parent should have to repeat.
โSophia was 24. She went to visit friends in Watauga County. On her way out of town, she stopped for water,โ Walsh said. โThat bottle, unknown to her, had just eight nanograms of fentanyl. It was enough to kill her.โ
Her story silenced the room โ a chilling reminder that behind the data are names, faces, and futures cut short.
โItโs more than a number. Every photo is just one ripple in a massive pond of fentanyl deaths,โ Walsh said.
Local sheriffs echoed her urgency, pointing to limited resources and the growing reach of drug trafficking networks.
โWhat Iโve seen in three years as sheriff โ this is a local resource issue,โ said Rowan County Sheriff Travis Allen.
Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers added, โWe canโt fight this alone. We have to work with partners โ every agency, every county.โ
The roundtable, titled โProsecuting the Poison,โ ended with a commitment to tougher laws, better coordination, and faster action.
For leaders like McDowell and families like the Walsh’s’, that commitment canโt come soon enough.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, help is available. Contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
