Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell explained the rise in fentanyl prosecutions on Tuesday, as state leaders make various announcements on National Fentanyl Awareness Day.
The county attorney's office said in a news release that there was a roughly 20% increase in cases related to deadly opioids from 2022 to 2023, and is anticipating an uptick once again with 2,214 fentanyl cases as of April. In 2023, there was a staggering 7,877 cases of "submittals for prosecution."
The news release referred to the numbers as "record-setting," as well as raising further concern about how large numbers of the drug coming in pills are becoming more common.
“As a community, we need to be a united front in the fight against fentanyl. To do that effectively, members of the community need to know what we’re facing together,” Mitchell said in a statement on Tuesday.
