ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS IDAHO COMBAT THE EXPANDING FENTANYL CRISIS

The prevalence of fentanyl in Idaho is growing exponentially

Kate Jacobson | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

On Jan. 9, Gov. Brad Little unveiled his “Idaho First” plan at the State of the State Address.

“The people of Idaho have given us a mandate: to stay on course, put Idaho first and continue down this path of prosperity,” Little said at the address.

Putting Idaho first, according to Little, includes investing in education, tax relief and infrastructure.

Also included in the Idaho First plan is “fighting fentanyl,” which is a unique addition to similar plans established in the past. In fact, as part of the 2023-24 fiscal year budget, Little allocated an ongoing $1.6 million to the Idaho State Police to develop a statewide drug interception team to respond to the ongoing fentanyl crisis.

The budget also provides a one-time allocation of $721,000 for the expansion of drug testing and fentanyl training in the Department of Correction.

Since the end of 2021, the Boise Police Department has issued over 500 charges related to fentanyl, including over 100 charges for selling/trafficking, according to a public records request.

The Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program was established by the Federal government in 1999 to facilitate collaboration between law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking in and around Oregon and Idaho. In the past year, the program has put extra focus on combating increases in fentanyl and educating the population on the topic.

Fentanyl is particularly dangerous because oftentimes the user is unaware that the drug they’re taking contains fentanyl. In Idaho, fentanyl is most commonly found in small blue pills made to look like prescription oxycodone.

The Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program confiscated 1.5 million of these counterfeit pills in 2021, which is a 137% increase from 2019.

Around the country, the prevalence of fentanyl has been growing exponentially, and Idaho is not an exception. In 2021, 44% of all overdose deaths in Idaho were attributed to fentanyl, according to a study done by Facing Fentanyl Now. This number is over double the rate of fentanyl overdoses recorded in the previous year.

The Idaho Harm Reduction Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to “serving the drug-using community of Idaho.”

The organization first began offering services in 2020 and has since become Idaho’s largest distributor of naloxone, a medication that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses, including fentanyl.

“We are interested in providing resources that help everyone who interacts with the drug supply to reduce the risk associated with that behavior … and fentanyl certainly increases those risks to the people that we serve,” said Evan Burke, the community relations program manager for the Idaho Harm Reduction Project.

The Idaho Harm Reduction Project provides all of its services free of charge, which include accessing naloxone as well as fentanyl test strips. The project distributed 3,981 naloxone kits in the first fiscal year of operation, and from that received confirmation of at least 245 overdose reversals from said kits.

Compared to other opiods, fentanyl is much more potent. It only takes 2 milligrams, or the equivalent to a grain of salt, to be deadly, which is why test strips and naloxone can quickly become lifesaving.

Burke said that it is important for anyone who uses drugs, or knows someone who does, to educate themselves on the dangers of fentanyl and to always be prepared with naloxone and test strips.

FAST FASHION IS RUINING THE FASHION WORLD, AND YOUR CLOSET

Hanalei Potempa | Culture Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

With the rise of the fast fashion industry, accessing cheap clothes that keep up with the ever-changing trends is at an all-time high for consumers. However, these shopping habits have proven to be wasteful and a hassle in the long run.

“Fast fashion” can be defined as the rapid and cheap production of clothing that offers consumers the latest fashion trends at a low cost. Although fast fashion provides convenience, plentiful options and the thrill of a good deal, the end result is completely unsatisfying.

Some people claim that our society has normalized shopping as a hobby, leading to a closet that is overflowing with clothes.

I would argue that shopping itself is not the issue. Rather, the problem lies with where and how we are shopping.

Fast fashion brands like Shein, H&M and Forever 21 are the best at following trends, which in this day and age are coming and going faster than ever, especially because of the influence of social media.

Microtrends, trends that rise to popularity quickly and leave the trend cycle even faster, are dominating these clothing racks.

It’s easy to go into these stores and find the latest style with a wide selection of colors and sizes, but the convenience comes to a halt after purchasing due to rapidly decreasing rates of garment usage and satisfaction.

Since 2000, clothing sales have doubled from 100 to 200 billion units a year, and the average usage of a garment has decreased 36%, according to an article from Earth.org.

That’s the thing about microtrends and feeding into them — they come and go so rapidly and thus these clothes go in and out of style. So how do we avoid this?

First is a new general rule: buy clothes because you love them, not because they’re trendy. Don’t get me wrong — it’s okay to enjoy trends, but you should ask yourself, “Do I like this piece of clothing because it’s ‘in’ right now or because I really like it and it resonates with me?”

In other words, will you wear that piece of clothing when it goes out of style?

Last year I became so frustrated with my closet because I could never put together an outfit I felt happy with. You would think that the more clothes you have the easier it would be to put together a good outfit, but it turns out it’s quite the opposite.

I noticed myself rewearing a few of the same outfits, as well as a few new items I was currently fixated on, though I seemed to be cycling the same few items in and out of use.

In my completely frustrated haze, I gutted my closet and donated everything that I never wore and anything that didn’t go with the style and aesthetic I aspired to dress like — and I learned a few things.

I used to go on shopping sprees online and at the mall, taking advantage of the seasonal sales and discounts offered by mass clothing companies. Unfortunately, these shopping habits led to an overflowing closet full of items I never wore, or wore a few times and got bored of.

Of the pieces I own, I wear some more often than others because they are unique to me and fit my style. They are also mostly pieces that I’ve bought second-hand.

Thrifting and purchasing from sustainable brands allows for the opportunity to find clothing pieces that are specific to your own style and aesthetic, and therefore never go out of style!

Sustainable fashion doesn’t have to be restricted to shopping second-hand. Shopping at small, local clothing stores often offers sustainably made clothing, and some bigger brands you might already know and love are coming out with sustainable lines.

Brands like Adidas, Levi’s and Patagonia are making the shift to clothing made with renewable materials. The important thing here is to do research before shopping mainstream.

Fast fashion was the one thing holding me back from a closet I love, one that allowed me to dress in my own style everyday, easily.

After gutting my closet and shifting my shopping habits, I now have a closet I love and one that I know how to responsibly shop for.

Since overconsumption itself isn’t necessarily the problem, I don’t restrict the amount of shopping I do, but I do try to buy pieces I know will have longevity in my closet and try to always stick to second hand shopping and eco-friendly brands.

Converting to sustainable fashion might seem like a big change, but it’s not one that has to happen overnight. Start slow and let yourself explore new styles and fashion inspirations. Lean into sustainable shopping and see what happens!

HUSTLE CULTURE IS HARMFUL; IT’S OKAY TO TAKE A BREAK

People need to create a better work-life balance and combat grind culture

Kiyah Henson | Opinion Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

In today’s society, the pressure to constantly be busy and stay on top can be crushing.

What many people don’t realize is that there is no winning. It won’t matter how many long hours you work or how fast someone gets a job done; there is always another project to complete and more people to impress.

The early manifestations of productivity culture started in the 1970s and have been made worse by the internet. “Hustle” or “grind” culture is the idea that people need to be maintaining high levels of productivity at all times. It demands that people be constantly working on their goals, whether they be work or personal.

This culture glamorizes the idea of overworking and bases self-worth on how productive someone has been. It is the voice that tells someone they cannot feel good about themselves until they check everything off of their to do list.

Hustle culture has a number of negative affects on people both mentally and physically. This culture fosters anxiety and burnout, and can even increase risk of disease.

In an article from Sampoerna University, they state that people who work more than 50 hours a week have a higher risk of cardiovascular (relating to the heart) and cerebrovascular (relating to the brain) disease. Working these long hours can also cause increased blood pressure and heart rate.

The risk of mental health issues are also increased since burnout can cause workers to feel defeated and lack motivation. Psychreg explains that hustle culture creates an environment of fear and guilt and glorifies overworking that can lead to severe anxiety. This anxiety stems from fear of failure if a person slacks off.

This fear of missing out on time that they could be working holds people back from taking the vacation time off that they’ve accumulated.

Dr. Michelle Bengston states, “Over 46% of Americans admit to having unused vacation time accrued, and almost 20% admitted to having a week or more unused vacation time at the end of the year.”

It’s okay to take time off! In the same article from Dr. Bengston, it’s explained that idleness is healthy and beneficial. Idleness is the state of being inactive and choosing not to do anything for a certain amount of time.

Idleness can increase creativity, help us solve big problems, conserve energy and lead to health improvements. We can practice idleness quite easily by making time for hobbies and passions, setting boundaries and allowing our brains to wander without external stimulation.

With a culture and lifestyle so ingrained in our society, it’s difficult to combat it.

However, there are a number of ways to start combatting productivity culture, and it starts with practicing mindfulness. The recovery from burnout doesn’t happen in one step.

The main thing is to focus on creating a work-life balance that allows for healthy work time and breaks alloted to relax and decompress. This is much easier said than done, so where do we start?

In an article from Cleveland Clinic, experts say to put physical distance between work and home lives, disconnect when at home and to prioritize self-care and take vacations, even if they’re only staycations.

For those who do much of their work at home, it’s especially important to dedicate certain spaces for work and others for relaxing. Working from home may be nice, but after a while the comfort of the space will be associated with work and productivity, making it hard to unwind.

The days will not run away when you choose to rest for a while. Treating ourselves kindly and prioritizing mental health over a never ending work cycle has greater benefits in the end anyways.

Even just taking a day every once and a while to sleep in and watch a movie or taking an evening off to get dinner with friends. It’s crucial we allow ourselves to enjoy things and let our mind wander.

Self-worth is not measured by how productive one has been, and our bodies will thank us for giving them time to rest and reset.