I Lost My Son to Overdose: Politicizing Fentanyl is a Distraction

DPA: As a mother who lost a son to a fentanyl overdose, what is your response to media coverage of fentanyl and the border?

Susan Ousterman: Fentanyl is being politicized into a border issue, and it’s not. Fentanyl is an issue of prohibition.

I lost my son, Tyler, to an overdose of fentanyl and xylazine.

We had an influx of opioids in this country in the 90s, due to regulatory failures. The DEA and law enforcement cut people off cold turkey. So people went to this illicit supply.

That’s what fentanyl is.

Targeting the border is distraction from what we really need here in this country, and that’s immediate access to treatment.

Realizing that the system is failing is painful, I know. It’s almost as painful as this loss, something that you believed in does nothing like you thought it was, and I know that’s difficult, but that’s a reality. And if we want to change this place and make it a place that people don’t want to risk their lives to escape from, we need to come together, and we need to do it with love.

Return to the main question page for more of Susan and Tyler’s story.

About Susan Ousterman: In 2020, Susan lost her son Tyler to an accidental overdose of fentanyl and xylazine. Today, she fiercely advocates for a public health approach to drug use to prevent overdose, improve health, and save lives.