The Bernalillo County
Board of Commissioners
SPONSORED BY: COMMISSIONERS MAGGIE HART STEBBINS, ART DE LA CRUZ, WAYNE A.
JOHNSON, DEBBIE O’MALLEY, and LONNIE C. TALBERT
WHEREAS, drug addiction is a disease that is tearing families apart, devastating communities, straining our economy,
healthcare, and criminal justice systems, and endangering the lives and futures of young people; and,
WHEREAS, the continuing growth in number of opioid overdose deaths from heroin and prescription opioid has been
declared a national epidemic by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and,
WHEREAS, in New Mexico the drug overdose death rate is the second highest in the nation; 540 deaths in 2014 alone,
with the highest number of those, 197, occurring in Bernalillo County, and nearly 80% of those attributable to either
prescription opioids or heroin; and,
WHEREAS, nationally, overdose deaths now exceed traffic fatalities and in Bernalillo County, three times as many
people die from overdoses than from traffic accidents; and,
WHEREAS, the increase in substance use disorders impacts families across Bernalillo County regardless of income,
geography, ethnicity, age, or employment status; and,
WHEREAS, addiction is recognized by the National Institutes of Health and the American Psychological Association as a
chronic, complex, and relapsing brain disease that affects both brain function and behavior; and,
WHEREAS, addiction is preventable and recovery possible when timely treatment and supports are available; and,
WHEREAS, existing resources for individuals and families struggling with addiction are insufficient to stem this
epidemic; and,
WHEREAS, solving this crisis cannot be accomplished by any one government or agency alone but will require a
concerted effort by all stakeholders; and,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners proclaims the opioid
overdose epidemic in Bernalillo County to be a public health EMERGENCY demanding immediate solutions grounded in
good public health principles, prevention, and patient care practices; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners commits to collaborating with other
stakeholders and using available resources to:
 recognize substance use disorders as serious chronic diseases
 work to dispel the stigma attached to those diseases
 expand capacity for community-based treatment that employs evidence-based modalities across the full spectrum
of effective treatment services;
 invest in primary prevention that reduces the risk of drug use including evidence-based education programs, early
childhood support programs, and programs that identify and serve persons at risk of using opioids
 evaluate opportunities for improving and expanding substance use treatment options and availability across all
Bernalillo County departments including MDC, MATS, YSC, and Community Services

DONE, this 26th day of April, 2016, in Bernalillo County, State of New Mexico
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
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Art De La Cruz, Chair
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Wayne A. Johnson, Vice Chair
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Debbie O’Malley, Member
ATTESTED BY:
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Maggie Hart Stebbins, Member
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Maggie Toulouse Oliver
County Clerk

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Lonnie C. Talbert, Member