MLK Scholar Presentation: Understanding the Magnitude of the Fentanyl Crisis in the US with Donna Nelson

About the presentation: Most people are aware of the US fentanyl problem, but not necessarily of its magnitude. The number of deaths reported by the CDC began increasing sharply in 2013 from about 3,000 annual deaths to over 75,000 deaths in 2022. This rapid increase in only about 10 years was unexpected, and death rates continue to rise. A simple supply-and-demand relationship gives a rationale. A deeper dive into CDC data reveals that age groups most impacted are those in their 20s and 30s, which includes college undergraduates. On the supply side, US Border Patrol seizures increase annually. In 2023, over 27,000 pounds of illicit fentanyl were seized, which is enough to kill every person in the US over 18 times. Multiple factors have caused the increase of illicit fentanyl over time -- border porosity, more aggressive Mexican cartel smuggling operations, and increased shipments of fentanyl precursors to those cartels. Possible solutions will be presented.

Dr. Donna Nelson obtained her PhD in chemistry at UT-Austin with Michael Dewar and did her postdoctorate at Purdue with HC Brown.  She was the first female and only Native American to accept a professorship at the University of Oklahoma Department of Chemistry.  She has published over 200 papers, given thousands of talks, and organized hundreds of ACS symposia.  She has received many honors, including the Guggenheim Award, ACS Fellow, AAAS Fellow, and NSF Creativity Extension.

Dr. Nelson was science advisor for the hit television show "Breaking Bad" and was elected to 2016 President of the American Chemical Society.  Her research and creative activities focused on the topics listed above as talk subjects by building communities in them.  

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