|
DATE: |
October 19, 2021 |
02 |
SUBJECT
Title
“PREVENTING FENTANYL OVERDOSES” A MULITI-AGENCY CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE YOUTH (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
In late August, two Chula Vista teenagers overdosed on clandestine prescription drugs laced with fentanyl they purchased via social media. One of these teenagers was resuscitated with Narcan and the other sadly died.
This story is tragic, but unfortunately it is a nationwide crisis that is rapidly spreading. According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office 462 accidental overdoses attributed to fentanyl were reported in 2020 compared to 152 in 2019. Many cases for 2021 are still open and pending confirmation, however, through mid-July, there were 413 deaths, compared to the same date range in 2020, where there were 177. Of these deaths, approximately 13% are high school and college age students. As of September of 2021, overdose deaths are on track to reach well over 700 by the end of this year.
The Medical Examiner’s Office commonly attributes the cause of these overdose deaths as to counterfeit oxycodone or alprazolam (Xanax) pills, that contain fentanyl. At times, these counterfeit pills are combined with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine made to look like legitimate pills and sold illegally. Local behavioral health surveillance data indicates an increase in substance use related emergency department presentations that correlate with the onset of the pandemic.
Immediate intervention is needed as students head back to school campuses. Several California counties have responded with a social media campaign directly focused on high school and college age students. The Counties of Fresno and Riverside have collaborated with many law enforcement agencies to educate and inform students of these dangers. In other states, where fentanyl overdoses have also sky rocketed, campaigns such as “Laced and Lethal” have been developed to educate this population.
As public safety and law enforcement agencies continue their work to take these deadly drugs off the streets, they cannot do it alone. Partnerships are essential in addressing the misinformation that is perpetuating the damage this deadly drug has brought upon our communities.
While recent local awareness campaigns have been successful, as the crisis continues to grow, so does the need for continuous and accessible education. This campaign is meant to enhance the efforts set in motion by other County campaigns such as the San Diego Opioid Project, the Fentanyl Warning Campaign and the It’s Up to Us campaign.
Today’s request is to direct the Chief Administrative Officer to work with multiple County departments in consultation with the educational community, parent teacher associations and student representatives to develop a culturally and age-appropriate substance use prevention messaging campaign, to include a focus on fentanyl awareness, targeted for youth and transition age youth.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
SUPERVISOR JIM DESMOND AND DISTRICT ATTORNEY SUMMER STEPHAN
Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to work with multiple County departments in consultation with the community and educational community, parent teacher associations and student representatives to develop a culturally and age-appropriate substance use awareness campaign, to include a focus on fentanyl awareness, in multiple languages to educate youth and transition age youth about the dangers of illicit substances, including fentanyl and fentanyl-laced or counterfeit prescription drugs.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Fentanyl related overdoses are affecting our entire County, but not all communities have equal access to life- saving resources and information. Empowering the community with culturally appropriate information and access to resources provides our most vulnerable populations with an equal opportunity to protect themselves from becoming victims in this growing epidemic.
FISCAL IMPACT
The funding amount is currently undetermined; however, it is expected that funding for this request is included in the Fiscal Year 2021-23 Operational Plan in the Health and Human Services Agency. The department will return to the Board of Supervisors for approval if it is determined that additional funding is needed. The funding source will be Substance Abuse Block Grant (SABG). There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
The County of San Diego has a long history of educating the public to dangers that cause loss of life. During the opioid epidemic, the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, Health and Human Services Agency, San Diego Sheriff’s Office, the Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force (PDATF) and other stakeholders have taken action to educate San Diego County residents of the dangers of fentanyl.
Currently, the County of San Diego, together with community partners, implemented a Fentanyl Warning Campaign in 2020 to address the significant increases in fentanyl-related overdose deaths being seen in San Diego County.
• Phase I of the campaign ran from November-December 2020 and included billboards, transit shelter ads and multiple digital/search/social media messages. Campaign warning posters included images of naloxone and were distributed to community partners and providers.
• Phase II of the Fentanyl Warning Campaign was in market August-September 2021 with multiple media formats including billboards featuring naloxone nasal spray, digital and paid search ads, and social media messaging.
In addition, the County’s It’s Up to Us campaign is designed to empower San Diegans to talk openly about mental illness, recognize symptoms, utilize local resources and seek help. By raising awareness and providing access to local resources, the campaign aims to inspire wellness, reduce stigma and prevent suicide. In 2021, the It’s Up to Us campaign included a focused Methamphetamine campaign with integrated fentanyl warning information disseminated through digital video and an array of online media messaging.
In 2020 the District Attorney’s Office and San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) partnered on an ambitious outreach campaign in response to the ongoing opioid abuse epidemic in San Diego County. The San Diego Opioid Project was an extended, six-month campaign based on extensive research and data. The campaign’s goal was not just to raise awareness, but to change behavior.
The first phase of the San Diego Opioid Project addressed the misconception that people think they can abuse prescription opioids ‘safely.’ It demonstrated that opioids affect your brain exactly like heroin does. The second phase of the campaign focused on how quickly people can overdose while others around them may not even notice. The third phase focused on the increase in pills laced with other substances like fentanyl, and how you never really know what you’re taking if you get pills from a friend or drug dealer.
The campaign garnered 46 million impressions and 3.8 million engagements on social media. As part of the campaign, the District Attorney’s Office also hosted a town hall meeting in 2020 that included an expert panel discussion and a few service providers followed by a virtual forum with the same panel format and virtual access to resources.
As the number of overdoses continued to reach alarming numbers the District Attorney felt a strong need to call the community to take action against this deadly epidemic. With the help of 25 community partners, the Fight Fentanyl Day of Action event provided the community with information, training and resources that will increase their quality of life and raise awareness on the dangers of fentanyl misuse. Simultaneously, the San Diego Opioid Project’s third phase was re-activated for six weeks beginning in August 2021.
While recent awareness campaigns have been successful, none of these campaigns have focused their messaging on younger populations as early high school. This request is to specifically create an awareness campaign to help combat fentanyl misuse amongst youth and transition age youth.
Top law enforcement officials have been sounding the alarm about overdose deaths related to fentanyl, especially among younger people for several years. They have also pushed out social media messaging stating “ if the pill you are taking didn’t come from a pharmacy - it could kill you”. However, based on continued fentanyl overdose deaths among young people, increased efforts are needed. Continued messaging to young people about fentanyl-laced street drugs that look very similar to prescription drugs like Adderall, Xanax and oxycodone may reduce overdose deaths.
Facts about fentanyl:
• Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent that morphine.
• Fentanyl is often found locally in the form of counterfeit pills that look like legitimate pharmaceutical pills. Of counterfeit pills tested in DEA laboratories, one in four pills made with fentanyl contained a potentially lethal dose.
• A kilogram of fentanyl can contain 500,000 potentially lethal doses.
• The seizure of fentanyl-laced pills along the Southwest border increased more than 89 percent from January 2019 to December 2020.
According to data from the medical examiner’s office, in 2020, there were 462 deaths due to fentanyl, either alone or with other drug(s), medication, and/or alcohol, with 355 of those among San Diego County residents. From 2019-2020, all six regions experienced an increase in fentanyl deaths among their residents, with North Inland experiencing the largest percent increase overall.
Today’s request is to direct the Chief Administrative Officer to work with multiple County departments in consultation with the educational community, parent teacher associations and student representatives to develop a culturally and age-appropriate substance use prevention messaging campaign, to include a focus on fentanyl awareness, targeted for youth and transition age youth.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed actions support the Living Safely Strategic Initiative of the County of San Diego’s 2019-2024 Strategic Plan by supporting education efforts on the dangers of opioid drug misuse.
Respectfully submitted,
JIM DESMOND SUMMER STEPHAN
Supervisor, District 5 District Attorney
ATTACHMENT(S)
N/A
AGENDA ITEM INFORMATION SHEET
REQUIRES FOUR VOTES: ☐ Yes ☒ No
WRITTEN DISCLOSURE PER COUNTY CHARTER SECTION 1000.1 REQUIRED
☐ Yes ☒ No
|
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOARD ACTIONS: N/A |
|
BOARD POLICIES APPLICABLE: N/A |
|
BOARD POLICY STATEMENTS: N/A |
|
MANDATORY COMPLIANCE: N/A |
|
ORACLE AWARD NUMBER(S) AND CONTRACT AND/OR REQUISITION NUMBER(S): Click here to enter text. |
|
ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: Supervisor Jim Desmond and DA Summer Stephan |
|
OTHER CONCURRENCE(S): |
Click here to enter text. |
CONTACT PERSON(S):
|
Donna Cleary |
|
Yolanda Apalategui |
|
Name |
|
Name |
|
619-531-5555 |
|
(619) 515-8585 |
|
Phone |
|
Phone |
Donna.Cleary@sdcounty.ca.gov Yolanda.apalategui@sdcda.org <mailto:Yolanda.apalategui@sdcda.org>