Callista Wilson: Sharing the road — drug crisis is closer than readers think

To The Daily Sun,

While most of us head to work, school, or the store, out to dinner, something serious is unfolding around us: Laconia’s ongoing drug crisis.

According to the Laconia Police Commission, there were 39 non-fatal overdoses and four overdose-related deaths in 2024. So far in 2025, New Hampshire has seen 77 confirmed overdose deaths statewide.

Police report a shift toward methamphetamine, which may cause fewer overdoses but brings increased aggression, paranoia and public safety concerns. These impacts are real emergency calls, public disturbances and drivers passing out behind the wheel.

To address this, Laconia is funding its Prevention Enforcement Treatment (PET) program through a $1.3 million federal Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program grant. Officers and counselors follow up after overdoses and connect people to recovery. It’s working and it’s something to be proud of.

But there’s another layer: The LEX harm-reduction program, which quietly offers clean needles, Narcan, and supplies to users. While meant to reduce disease, it raises fair questions: Are we helping people recover, or just helping them stay addicted safely?

These programs are running side by side, often without most residents even knowing. That’s the problem.

Laconia deserves a unified strategy, one where public health and public safety are coordinated, transparent and aimed at real recovery. Because this isn’t just about addiction. It’s about keeping roads safe, public spaces clean, and services responsive.

We all share the same streets. Let’s make sure our policies do, too.

Callista Wilson

Laconia