The 2024 wildfire season is off to an aggressive start. We’re seeing fires that are starting earlier and spreading more quickly than previous years — a troublesome sign of what could be on the horizon later this summer.
While the physical risks of wildfires are well known, few people consider the negative impacts that these fires — and climate change as a whole — can have on our mental health. Recent studies have shown an increase in anxiety-related emergency department visits , as well as an increase in demand for antidepressants and anti-anxiety prescriptions , in the months following major fires on the West Coast.
The effects are widespread and long lived. Rural residents face some of the highest risks from wildfires yet have some of the lowest access to mental health care in our state. Among them are winegrowers who have felt the financial and emotional trauma of losing their harvest to smoke taint, most notably during the disastrous 2020 fire season. They also include farmworkers who face poverty, housing instability, and other stressful situations when wildfires impact their ability to work. And of course, they include our firefighters on the frontlines who suffer from higher rates of PTSD, depression, alcohol and substance use, and other behavioral health disorders.
As wildfires continue to worsen by the year, we must make sure that our communities have the resources they need to fight back on all fronts — including expanding access to mental health care. That is exactly why I introduced the Peer Support for Firefighters Act. My bill would make it easier for firefighters to access peer-to-peer mental health services.
Peer specialists understand the unique risks, challenges, and trauma that our first responders face, making them uniquely equipped to break through stigma and connect firefighters with the right kind of mental health support. Beyond this bill, I’ve championed bipartisan legislation to make telehealth more accessible for folks in the farming, fishing and forestry industries — all of which have been hurt by worsening wildfires and climate change.
I’ve supported another bipartisan bill, the CARE for First Responders Act, which would expand mental health services and establish a specialized hotline, not just for firefighters but for all our emergency response personnel. I am also working hard to get disaster relief for farmworkers included in the final Farm Bill. This is something I fought for and got passed in the State Legislature, and I am continuing that fight at the federal level. By providing some financial assistance for those who grow and harvest our food, we can help alleviate some of the stress and uncertainty they experience, too.
Let me be clear: I’m just getting started. I will continue listening and learning from Oregon growers, rural communities and folks on the ground who are feeling the worst impacts of these wildfires — and turning their concerns into solutions.
Climate change is a complex problem, and it isn’t going away anytime soon. However, I am optimistic that when we work together, we can begin to reverse these trends and protect our beautiful state — and everyone who lives here — far into the future.
Most Popular
Comments / 0