DATE:
October 19, 2021
02
TO:
Board of Supervisors
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 pu...
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