By 
September 19, 2025
Opioids continue to affect families across north Alabama. From fentanyl-laced pills to drugs hidden in parcels or vehicles, the dangers keep evolving.
As National Opioid Awareness Day approaches on Sunday, Sept. 21, the North Alabama Drug Task Force (NADTF), a multi-jurisdictional federal drug task force led by the Huntsville Police Department (HPD), is reminding the community of both the significant progress made and challenges ahead.
The challenge
Once driven by prescription painkillers, opioid misuse in Alabama is now dominated by illicit fentanyl – the leading cause of opioid deaths. Even more concerning, fentanyl is often mixed with drugs like xylazine and nitazines. These combinations can be deadly, harder to detect and resistant to naloxone, a medication used by first responders to reverse opioid overdoses.
“We’re not just seeing fentanyl in isolation anymore,” NADTF Commander Lieutenant Joseph Kennington said. “These additives magnify the danger, and they complicate every rescue effort.”
According to the Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council, xylazine-related deaths doubled over the past year across the state, and nitazine-linked fatalities have already been reported, though data is still emerging.
Meanwhile, trafficking networks continue to adapt. Drugs move through mail parcels, short-term rentals and hidden vehicle compartments. Labs struggle to keep up with detection, and legal limitations on tools like test strips make early intervention difficult.
“The adaptability of these networks is one of our biggest challenges,” Kennington said. “We have to anticipate the next chemical, the next method, the next pipeline – because traffickers won’t stop adapting.”
Progress and hope
Despite these challenges, Alabama has seen an estimated 18-20% drop in opioid deaths in the past year. That success reflects a multi-pronged approach: greater community awareness, expanded naloxone access and efforts to stop high-potency opioids before they reach users.
NADTF focuses on cutting supply at its source by targeting mid- and high-level traffickers.
“The more poison we intercept, the fewer overdoses our community has to face,” Kennington said.
While treatment isn’t NADTF’s direct role, agents help connect overdose survivors to services through police, fire/EMS or crisis response teams.
“Our primary focus is supply,” Kennington said. “But we never lose sight of the lives on the other side of that supply chain.”
Preventing the next crisis
Prevention starts with stopping supply before it reaches users. That involves intercepting shipments on highways and through the mail, gathering intelligence and dismantling networks operating across rental properties and regional lines.
NADTF also supports education and outreach, helping schools, civic groups and first responders understand emerging threats.
“Small amounts of fentanyl or xylazine can be fatal,” Kennington said. “Awareness is a layer of protection.”
Looking ahead
NADTF plans to expand its efforts to catch drugs before they reach the community, improve information-sharing with regional partners and use new tools to identify and dismantle networks more efficiently. But enforcement alone isn’t enough.
Community members play a big role by reporting suspicious activity, taking part in drug-take back events and spreading awareness about overdose risks.
“We don’t expect the community to do our job,” Kennington said. “But we do ask for their eyes, their information and their willingness to stand with us as we confront this crisis head-on.”
National Opioid Awareness Day is just one date on the calendar, but NADTF’s mission is year-round. By staying ahead of traffickers, connecting survivors to help and working alongside the community, they’re determined to turn the tide on opioids in north Alabama.
