Addressing the Fentanyl crisis with facts, not fearmongering

On February 14, 2025, I received an email from my U.S. Representative, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, with the subject line "Fentanyl is Killing Iowans." In this email, she states, "According to the CDC, fentanyl is now the leading cause of death amongst Americans ages 18-45" and links to an article—not from the CDC—but from Fox News, dated nearly four years ago (December 16, 2021). This is not just misleading but also indicative of a larger problem in how policymakers communicate about public health crises.

Almost exactly a year ago, The Gazette fact-checked a similar claim made by Rep. Ashley Hinson, who stated that fentanyl was the leading cause of death among all American adults. The fact-check revealed that this claim was, at best, misleading. The truth is that fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are a significant public health crisis, but accurate data and evidence-based solutions should drive our response—not outdated or misrepresented statistics.

As a physician, Rep. Miller-Meeks should hold herself to a higher standard when it comes to citing sources and presenting evidence. Instead of using fear-based rhetoric and citing outdated news articles, she should rely on credible, up-to-date data from the CDC or other reputable public health organizations. Misrepresenting the problem does not serve Iowans; it only distracts from the real solutions needed to combat the fentanyl crisis.

Miller-Meeks touts her support for H.R. 467, the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act (HALT Fentanyl Act), as a way to save lives. However, many public health and civil rights organizations, including The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, have voiced strong opposition to this bill. The HALT Fentanyl Act seeks to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs, effectively expanding mandatory minimum sentences and criminalizing substances regardless of whether they are actually harmful. This approach prioritizes punitive measures over evidence-based public health solutions, which we know from decades of failed drug policy will disproportionately harm communities of color and do little to address addiction or overdoses.

The fentanyl crisis is indeed a major public health issue, and Iowans deserve solutions that work. What we need is increased access to harm reduction strategies such as expanded naloxone distribution, overdose prevention centers, and medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders. We also need to address the root causes of substance use, including mental health care accessibility, economic stability, and social support systems. Simply increasing criminal penalties does not stop drug overdoses—it exacerbates the crisis by pushing drug use further underground and deterring people from seeking help.

If Rep. Miller-Meeks is serious about saving lives, she should focus on solutions grounded in public health and harm reduction, not outdated statistics and failed "tough on crime" policies. I urge her—and all lawmakers—to prioritize evidence-based approaches to tackling the fentanyl crisis instead of fearmongering and ineffective legislation.

Stephanie Edmonds is a nurse, public health expert, and scientist. She lives in Solon.