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New fentanyl awareness education plan by Board of Supervisors includes classroom education for students

The new plan will enhance fentanyl awareness education and strengthen harm reduction efforts for students across the county.

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a new plan that requires fentanyl education in classrooms as well as increasing Narcan distribution.

During their Tuesday meeting, the supervisors voted to enhance fentanyl awareness education and strengthen harm reduction efforts for students across the county.

Accidental overdose deaths caused by fentanyl have reached historic levels across the nation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that over 80,000 overdose deaths caused by fentanyl occurred in 2021 alone.

The effort, led by Supervisors Jim Desmond, Terra Lawson-Remer and District Attorney Summer Stephan, would work with education officials and the California State Legislature to require fentanyl awareness education in the classroom for students. If approved, it would also increase Narcan distributions and trainings across the County to parents and student first responders.

The plan allows the county to explore opportunities for additional funding to support on campus drug and alcohol awareness programs.

Data from the CDC shows that accidental deaths caused by fentanyl is the number one killer of people between the ages of 18 and 45, far exceeding the number of deaths caused by car accidents, COVID, heart disease, and gun violence within this age group.

Currently, the State of California Education Code does not specifically address the dangers of illicit fentanyl. In 2009 the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC) was eliminated and the mandate for school districts to use prevention curriculum was removed and defunded.

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