Fentanyl kills more youth than heroin, cocaine, meth, Benzos and prescription drugs combined

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), law enforcement, public health, and non-profits across the county have joined together today to recognize National Fentanyl Awareness Day. Not only is this a day to remember the victims of fentanyl poisoning, but it is also a day to educate the public about this deadly threat to communities, both small and large.

Raising awareness about this urgent national problem is key as people are dying at alarming rates due to illicit fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams — the equivalent of a few grains of salt — can kill a person.

In El Dorado County, six people have died of a fentanyl overdose so far in 2023, but with a six-week wait on toxicology reports, that number is most likely much higher. In 2022 there were 24 confirmed deaths in the county due to fentanyl, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office coroner's office.

Fentanyl is involved in more American youth deaths than heroin, cocaine, meth, Benzodiazepines (Benzos), and prescription drugs combined - yes, combined! Most of these deaths come from "just one pill." According to statistics from FentanylAwarenessDay.org, the youth who have died from trying just one pill to get through something like testing and other stressful situations make up most of these youth death statistics.

Fentanyl comes in two forms - pills and powder. Cartels are hiding fentanyl in fake pills that look like oxycodone, Xanax, and Percocet, and they are also mixing fentanyl powder with cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.

This is why many of the people poisoned by fentanyl had no idea they were even taking it. The user is unsuspecting as there is no smell, no taste, no texture that gives it away.

“Fentanyl is the greatest threat to Americans today. It kills more Americans between the ages of 18 to 45 than terrorism, than car accidents, than cancer, than COVID. It kills nearly 200 Americans every day. And the number of children under 14 dying from fentanyl poisoning has increased at an alarming rate,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.

In South Lake Tahoe, the police department has seen an increase in fentanyl in opioids.

"One of the major risks of opioids all over, including in South Lake Tahoe, is the unknown contents in the drug to the end user," said South Lake Tahoe Police Lt. Scott Crivelli. "Suppliers along the way will 'cut' illegal narcotics with a variety of substances to increase their supplies, thus increasing their profits."

In Placer County they started the "1 Pill Can Kill" campaign after the death of 17-year-old Zach Didier. In 2020, 24 Placer County residents lost their lives to fentanyl poisoning — nearly half under 25 years of age, and one of those was Zach. The Rocklin high school student purchased what he thought was a prescription Percocet through a drug dealer on the social media platform, Snapchat. That one pill turned out to be a "fentapill." By the time Zach’s dad found him in his room, he had already passed away from fentanyl poisoning. The man who sold him that one pill was from Sacramento. The dealer was sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading no contest to involuntary manslaughter and selling fentanyl to Zach.

Fentanyl is a powerful, synthetic opioid. It’s killing young people — and many of them don't even know it exists. Kids are warned about other dangers, but how many are talked to about fentanyl?

The Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids (TASK) has shared the following links for valuable information about fentanyl and our youth:

https://dropthefbomb.com/ has information on how to talk to your children about "F" - fentanyl as well as facts and resources

https://www.eldoradocope.org/fightingfentanyl - Fighting Fentanyl campaign in El Dorado County

https://www.songforcharlie.org/ - Song For Charlie, real talk about fake pills dedicated to Charlie Ternan. His parents started the nonprofit in his memory after his 2020 death from fentanyl.

https://www.fentanylawarenessday.org/

If someone is suspected of having an opioid overdose, Narcan can reverse the effects safely and quickly. The South Lake Tahoe Library, South Tahoe High and South Tahoe Middle School, the El Dorado County Health Department, Barton Health Emergency Room, and Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless all have supplies of Narcan for the public. All first responders also carry it in their vehicles.

Lt. Crivelli wanted the public to know that if Narcan is used on an overdose victim who did not ingest opioids, there are no negative effects. If someone appears to have overdosed and someone is unsure of its cause, when in doubt, still administer Narcan if on hand.

Narcan has been approved to be distributed through pharmacies without a prescription and supplies will be available in the near future.

Many colleges advise their incoming freshmen to have a supply of Narcan in their supplies when moving into the dorm to help someone that may need help while away from home.

Another thing of note is AB472 – “911 Good Samaritan Law.” This has been in effect since 1/1/2013. Here’s the law….. “It shall not be a crime for any person who experiences a drug-related overdose, as defined, who, in good faith, seeks medical assistance, or any other person who, in good faith, seeks medical assistance for the person experiencing a drug-related overdose, to be under the influence of, or to possess for personal use, a controlled substance, controlled substance analog, or drug paraphernalia, under certain circumstances related to a drug-related overdose that prompted seeking medical assistance if that person does not obstruct medical or law enforcement personnel.” - While people may be apprehensive to give information about drug use on the scene of an overdose, law enforcement / medical personnel want the information to ensure the victim receives the appropriate emergency medical care.