Awakening Recovery Founder: We Need to Change Our Response to Fentanyl and Meth

David van der Velde reflects on Sam Quinones' recent piece about Los Angeles, using it to argue that the city's response to addiction and homelessness hasn't kept pace with how dangerous fentanyl and methamphetamine have made the street environment. He frames this as a human suffering issue, not a partisan one.

David acknowledges real progress, including LA County's reported 22% drop in overdose deaths in 2024, but argues that citywide gains don't reflect the experience of people still cycling through encampments, ERs, psychiatric crises, and jail without reaching lasting stability.

David urges for solutions that use speed and continuity: move people into structured support quickly, then sustain that support long enough for real stabilization, not just temporary removal from public view.

Read the entire article on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fentanyl-meth-changed-street-our-response-has-move-van-der-velde-yqblc/