Opioid Crisis Update – Public Safety Alert in San Diego
Officials Warn: “Fentanyl Crisis Raging in San Diego”
Earlier this month the U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer issued a Public Safety Alert that a lethal strain of fentanyl designed to look like oxycodone is being sold on the streets, and it’s costing lives. This announcement comes on the heels of four fentanyl overdose deaths in San Diego County, that occurred within a 24-hour period at the end of July.
Brewer warns that the fentanyl crisis in San Diego is on track to hit an all-time high by the end of 2019 as border seizures, prosecutions and overdoses continue to rise. The number of Fentanyl-related deaths are also rapidly climbing to unprecedented levels. Based on the current count of the Medical Examiner’s reported deaths from fentanyl-related overdose, by the end of 2019 the death rate is expected to hit a 47% increase from last year’s number.
“Fentanyl is 30-50 times more powerful than heroin and so dangerous that in its purest form, even a tiny amount touching the skin can be deadly. According to law enforcement reports, the price of fentanyl in 2019 – whether in powder form and pill form – is declining, meaning that both forms are readily available in our community.”
The DEA is working in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies in San Diego to ensure the most effective overdose death investigations and prosecutions. The community is taking this problem very seriously and has developed a multi-level strategy that involves a number of approaches from different disciplines. Read the full article here.
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