A new California law that will go into effect on Jan. 1 is aimed at reducing fentanyl overdoses and deaths at public colleges and universities in the state. Lolita Lopez reports for the NBC4’s I-Team on Dec. 27, 2022.
A new law that takes effect Jan. 1, 2023 aims to reduce opioid-related overdoses and deaths at public colleges and universities in California.
The Campus Opioid Safety Act Senate Bill 367 requires the California Department of Public Health to provide updated life-saving education and federally approved opioid overdose reversal medication – like Naloxone - at no cost.
They say warning students and faculty could save lives.
The CDPH highlights data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which shows nearly half or 46% of overdose deaths nationwide in 2021 could have been prevented with a bystander getting involved.
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According to the CDPH, when taken recreationally and without a doctor's recommendation, or when mixed with other drugs to increase its potency, fentanyl can often lead to fatal overdose.
As 2022 comes to an end, the Drug Enforcement Administration is announcing the seizure of over 50.6 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder this calendar year. The DEA Laboratory estimates that these seizures represent more than 379 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl.
Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing this country, and it is a highly addictive man-made opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin, according to the DEA.
The DEA explains just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose.
The NBC4 ITeam has been reporting fentanyl-related deaths are on the rise across the country and here in California
New numbers on the state’s dashboard reporting overdose drug deaths show there were 6,843 opioid related overdose deaths statewide in 2021, and 5,722 were related to fentanyl.
Parents who have lost loved ones to fentanyl say education is important.
“This is an emergency. This is a crisis of epic proportions,” Jaime Puerta said.
Puerta lost his son Daniel in 2020. He says Daniel thought he was taking a prescription medication that he bought online, but instead he died after unknowingly ingesting Fentanyl that was in the pill.
Puerta is part of the organization StopTheVoid.org which was formed to bring to the public’s attention, through education, awareness and legislative advocacy, the immediate danger of sudden death associated with the use of illicit drugs, in particular, fentanyl.
