CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Recognizing the signs of opioid overdose

Small, constricted pinpoint pupils

Falling asleep or losing consciousness

Slow, weak or no breathing

Choking or gurgling sounds

Limp Body

Cold, clammy, and/or discolored skin

What to do if someone is overdoing

It may be difficult to tell whether a person is high or experiencing an overdose.  If you are not sure, it is best to treat the situation like an overdose – it could save a life

1: Call 911 immediately

2: Administer Nalozone, also known as Narcan if available

3: Try to keep the person awake or breathing

4: Lay the person on their side to prevent choking

5: Stay with them until emergency workers arrive.

Fake Pills

Fentanyl is not being pressed into fake pills.  Fake pills are made to look like OxyContin, Xanax, Adderall and other pharmaceuticals.  These fake pills contain no legitimate medicine.

DEA lab testing reveals that six out of every ten fake pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose.  It only takes 2 milligrams of fentanyl to be lethal. 

Who to Reach Out to in the U.S.

If you are able to get to a hospital, do so as quickly as possible, if not call 911.

The number to call if you are in an emergency is 988 and help is available 24/7.

The internet is filled with places that assist with this problem.

You can also call SAMHSA’S National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). They have treatment referral and information services in English and Spanish for individuals and families facing substance disorders. As well, if you do not have insurance or are underinsured, they guide you to state-funded programs.

Overview of Joint Information Hearing

Assembly California Legislature

Subject: Overview on the Fentanyl and Overdose Crisis

May 24, 2023

Nearly 12,000 Californians died from drug overdoses in 2022.  The crisis, which began two decades ago, was originally linked to prescription opioids and later to heroin.  Over the past few years, illicit fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has eclipsed other drugs in overdose deaths.  Fentanyl is 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Fentanyl is produced both for pharmaceutical use as a pain reliever and for illicit use.  Much of the illicit fentanyl on the streets is manufactured outside of the country and brought to the U.S. through the nation’s southern border.

In California, opioid overdose deaths doubled between 2019 and 2021.  Fentanyl accounted for 83% of those deaths, outpacing overdoses from both heroin and cocaine combined.

According to the California Department of Public Heath, fentanyl can be added to other drugs to make them cheaper, stronger and more addictive.  Overdose deaths linked to mixing opioids with stimulants tripled in California between 2019 and 2021.    Because of this, the Drug Enforcement Agency launched a “One Pill Can Kill” public awareness campaign.

The Department of Justice announced in 2022 that it had seized more than 4 million fentanyl pills and almost 900 pounds of fentanyl powder.  A state record-breaking bust in July 2022 found in one home 1 million counterfeit pills that contained fentanyl, with an estimated street value of 15-20 million dollars. 

As a result, a program began which includes an outreach approach to academia, social services and mental health practitioners.  The goal is to foster a whole society involvement to the issue.

California Fentanyl Death Chart

2020  –   3,946

2021  –   5,961

2022  –  6,473

2023  –  6,850