The rate of drug overdose deaths鈥攏ationally and 鈥攊s racing up the charts, , according to the CDC. That鈥檚 why demonstrators in Santa Fe on Saturday asked legislators not to erode resources that fight substance abuse.
A possible cut to behavioral health funding drove scores of people from northern New Mexico to march in the capital.
Lauren Reichelt, is the director of for , which has had one of the in the United States for years. She said in her county, this has become a multigenerational issue. "It means that people are losing members of their family," she said. "So it鈥檚 not just affecting people who are using drugs. It affects all kinds of people."
Reichelt said there has to be another way to balance the budget. She鈥檚 seen firsthand the widespread devastation rampant addiction has on smaller, more rural communities.
The 2016 legislative session is focused on the budget. Lawmakers will be deciding how to spend the state鈥檚 money in the next couple of weeks.
