Experts, families of overdose victims to talk fentanyl at free Turlock meeting this week
A town hall meeting titled “Fentanyl in Our Community” will be held in Turlock on Thursday to provide education on the deadly drug, community resources and Narcan training, according to two of the presenting organizations: the Turlock Unified School District and Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS).
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to information on the TUSD website. The district encourages families to keep children safe “by getting informed and talking to your student about the dangers of fentanyl and drug use.”
The opioid epidemic is spreading throughout California at an alarming rate, according to an email to The Bee from BHRS Director Tony Vartan.
He cided data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and PRevention that nearly 75% of the 91,799 drug overdose deaths in 2020 involved an opioid. From 2019 to 2020, there were significant changes in opioid-involved death rates in California:
- Opioid-involved death rates increased by 38%.
- Prescription opioid-involved death rates increased by 17%.
- Heroin-involved death rates decreased by 7%.
- Synthetic opioid-involved death rates (excluding methadone) increased by 56%
“One of the primary drugs involved in these overdoses is fentanyl,” Vartan said in his email. “Fentanyl is an opioid analgesic prescription drug often administered to people with moderate to severe pain, especially after surgery. Pharmaceutical fentanyl ... should typically only be taken under careful medical supervision.
“In our county the preliminary 2022 data from the Coroner’s Office reflects 83 fentanyl-related deaths representing 73% of total overdose and poisoning deaths in Stanislaus County. The illicit drugs like fentanyl sold by drug dealers are often laced with other chemicals and narcotics or come in doses that could be lethal.”
Signs of a fentanyl overdose include difficulty waking up, slowed breathing, confusion, and blue or pale lips and fingernails, according to TUSD. If an overdose is suspected, call 911 immediately.
Narcan nasal spray is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency.
Thursday’s town hall is free and will be from 6-8 p.m. at Turlock Community Theatre, 1574 E. Canal Drive.
Panelists will include Patrick Hogan, a Stanislaus County deputy district attorney; Jake Young, a Turlock Police Department investigator; Dr. James Kraus, a BHRS psychiatrist from BHRS; Vartan and other BHRS leadership staff; and members of two families that lost their sons to fentanyl overdose and poisoning last year.
