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King County and Seattle are certain to exceed last year’s already historic fatal overdose deaths. Rather than urgently and aggressively tackle the drug crisis, one county councilmember is wasting time declaring the week Taylor Swift Week in King County.

County councilmember Claudia Balducci introduced the proclamation “to celebrate not only Taylor Swift’s huge musical and cultural contributions as an artist, but also her positive role modeling for women and girls.” It comes ahead of two local sold-out shows at Lumen Field and was signed by the entire council.

The proclamation includes Swift song references, such as calling her “Fearless in standup for herself in the face of harassment” and lauding her for encouraging “Lovers of the Earth to take public transportation to her concerts.” The proclamation reads like a 14-year-old wrote it. One who is annoyed at time wasted on Taylor Swift Week might be told to (ahem) shake it off. But this is being pushed during a serious crisis.

Taylor Swift more important than tackling drugs in Seattle

Public Health of Seattle & King County 710 fatal overdoses so far this year (as of July 17). The county will easily surpass last year’s record high 1,000 fatal overdoses thanks to fentanyl flooding our streets.

The crisis, a result of lax drug laws, a legalization push, and a harm reduction strategy from Democrats at the city, county, and state level, shows no sign of slowing down. The county has seen historic highs every year since at least 2012. Making matters worse is the alarming rise in Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” popping up across the state. This drug is Narcan-resistant. It can cause limbs and skin to deteriorate and , earning it the “zombie drug” nickname. The Lynnwood Police Department they’re seeing it pop up more across the city.

If there are no exceptionally urgent matters to tackle, frivolous fun like meaningless Taylor Swift Week is fine. Councils or mayors do this all around the country. But when an addict is likely to die before you’re done reading a proclamation due to policies the council embraced, perhaps a focus on Swift signals misplaced energy.

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