SAN DIEGO — The CDC says just over 100,000 people have died from a drug overdose in the last year. The agency released a report Wednesday saying fentanyl is the leading cause of more than half of all drug overdoses.
News 8's LaMonica Peters talked to a local recovery center about the alarming number of drug overdoses and tells us how San Diego County health officials are responding to the deaths in our area.
Health officials say the rise in drug overdoses is also tied to isolation brought on by the pandemic. Fentanyl is now being mixed with other illicit drugs, creating a dangerous and deadly combination.
From May of last year until April of this year, the number of drug overdoses surpassed the number of deaths from car crashes, guns and even the flu and pneumonia. The CDC says that 64% of all drug overdose deaths are related to fentanyl, a 49% increase from the year before.
“It’s people dying alone. It’s people overdosing on streets, on their couches at home. It’s pretty dramatic but we don’t get to see that,” said Michael Gallagher, Shoreline Recovery Center Clinical Director in San Diego.
Just last month, San Diego County officials voted unanimously to develop a campaign focusing on fentanyl awareness. It will target teens and young adults who may be buying pills on the street. In 2019, there were 152 accidental deaths involving fentanyl but last year, that number climbed to 462. This year county officials are estimating about 700 people will overdose from using fentanyl. Gallagher explains why fentanyl is so deadly.
“It makes the drug more potent. Fentanyl is about 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin. So, you don’t need as much fentanyl. You can sneak it in or cut into the drug. Also too, we’re finding people that overdose on fentanyl, not even knowing they were taking fentanyl,” Gallagher said.
Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs like cocaine. In September, federal drug officials issued a warning that the U.S. was being flooded with fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl and meth. Officials said taking just one pill could be deadly and two out of every five pills seized contained a possible lethal dose of fentanyl.
“I would love to see more access to treatment. Whether that’s more treatment centers, whether that’s more one-on-one therapists out there that can help clients then find treatment,” Gallagher said.
Health officials say people are also unknowingly buying counterfeit prescription drugs online and on social media platforms. If you or someone you know needs help fighting drug addiction, just click HELP.
WATCH RELATED: Recovery advocates send another warning about the dangers of the drug fentanyl