Bernalillo County Commissioners are over the county鈥檚 high level of opioid overdoses.
The measure to declare a public health emergency was co-sponsored by all five commissioners. Maggie Hart-Stebbins is commissioner for District 3.
鈥淲e have seen consistent, explosive growth in the number of individuals in Bernalillo County who are overdosing from opioids and heroin,鈥� she said.
The county鈥檚 overdose rate is lower than some other parts of the state. Still, Hart-Stebbins said three times as many people die from overdoses than traffic accidents.
She said the commission was compelled to make the declaration because not enough is being done to address the problem locally.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a statement by the commission that we consider this a priority, and that we commit our resources to taking proactive steps towards making a dent in this,鈥� she said.
The emergency declaration isn鈥檛 a legally binding resolution. There are no policy changes or money attached to it. But Hart-Stebbins said it鈥檚 part of a larger push by the county to bolster public health funding and infrastructure.
