October is National Substance Use Prevention Month and Sacramento County officials are still pushing their “Just one pill can kill,” campaign as opioid overdose deaths have claimed hundreds of lives locally.”My son’s death came at what seemed to be the very beginning of the extreme rise in fentanyl deaths, so since he died up until very recently, the deaths just kept going higher and higher,” said Rich Lee, whose son Jacob Lee died at age 23 from opioid poisoning. Lee said that his son thought he was taking Percocet.Despite the tens of thousands of lives that have been lost to overdoses, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. The U.S. is experiencing a 10% decrease in the number of fatal overdoses this year.That number is reflected in counties like Sacramento.”I don’t think it’s that there’s less people using, I think there’s less people dying because we have all of these programs and services in place here in Sacramento County,” said Lori Miller with the Sacramento County Department of Health Services. Miller works as a behavioral health division manager with substance use prevention and treatment.Last year, 403 fentanyl-related deaths were recorded in Sacramento County. This year– a sharp decline at 157.Another area showing a decrease is Placer County. A spokesperson with the Health and Human Services division told KCRA that in 2023, they recorded the deaths of 49 residents where fentanyl was the cause or contributor to death. This year’s latest update shows only nine.Placer County has also been pushing its “1 Pill Can Kill” campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of fentanyl.Another factor considered in this decline is the widespread distribution of overdose-reversal medications such as naloxone and greater access to opioid addiction treatment.However, with two months left this year, some experts are worried these numbers could pick up.”During the holiday season, we tend to see a lot more challenges in terms of mental health substance use, and substance misuse. So, as we go into the rest of October, November, December, we probably will see an uptick in the number, but hopefully, it’s still far less than the 400 that we experienced last year,” said Hakeem O. Adeniyi Jr., a chief clinical officer at the Sacramento Native American Health Center.Yolo County officials couldn’t provide data on fentanyl-related deaths at this time.The Public Health Services of San Joaquin County has seen more deaths from fentanyl and opioids this year and has been pushing its “Fentanyl is Fatal” campaign. The county’s health department is providing Narcan through vending machines and in person. Do you have photos or video of an incident? If so, upload them to KCRA.com/upload. Be sure to include your name and additional details so we can give you proper credit online and on TV.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter
October is National Substance Use Prevention Month and Sacramento County officials are still pushing their “Just one pill can kill,” campaign as opioid overdose deaths have claimed hundreds of lives locally.
“My son’s death came at what seemed to be the very beginning of the extreme rise in fentanyl deaths, so since he died up until very recently, the deaths just kept going higher and higher,” said Rich Lee, whose son Jacob Lee died at age 23 from opioid poisoning. Lee said that his son thought he was taking Percocet.
Despite the tens of thousands of lives that have been lost to overdoses, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. The U.S. is experiencing a 10% decrease in the number of fatal overdoses this year.
That number is reflected in counties like Sacramento.
“I don’t think it’s that there’s less people using, I think there’s less people dying because we have all of these programs and services in place here in Sacramento County,” said Lori Miller with the Sacramento County Department of Health Services. Miller works as a behavioral health division manager with substance use prevention and treatment.
Last year, 403 fentanyl-related deaths were recorded in Sacramento County. This year– a sharp decline at 157.
Another area showing a decrease is Placer County. A spokesperson with the Health and Human Services division told KCRA that in 2023, they recorded the deaths of 49 residents where fentanyl was the cause or contributor to death. This year’s latest update shows only nine.
Placer County has also been pushing its “1 Pill Can Kill” campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of fentanyl.
Another factor considered in this decline is the widespread distribution of overdose-reversal medications such as naloxone and greater access to opioid addiction treatment.
However, with two months left this year, some experts are worried these numbers could pick up.
“During the holiday season, we tend to see a lot more challenges in terms of mental health substance use, and substance misuse. So, as we go into the rest of October, November, December, we probably will see an uptick in the number, but hopefully, it’s still far less than the 400 that we experienced last year,” said Hakeem O. Adeniyi Jr., a chief clinical officer at the Sacramento Native American Health Center.
Yolo County officials couldn’t provide data on fentanyl-related deaths at this time.
The Public Health Services of San Joaquin County has seen more deaths from fentanyl and opioids this year and has been pushing its “Fentanyl is Fatal” campaign. The county’s health department is providing Narcan through vending machines and in person.
Do you have photos or video of an incident? If so, upload them to KCRA.com/upload. Be sure to include your name and additional details so we can give you proper credit online and on TV.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter
