This holiday season, it’s time we sat down and talked about fentanyl. Here’s why | Opinion

The holidays are here, and it can be a very difficult time for many Californians. The warm sun is not out as much, and the season can heighten feelings of grief, sadness and loneliness. For those struggling with substance use or substance use disorder, this can make the holidays an especially challenging time.

As a Peer Recovery Specialist with the Mendonoma Health Alliance in Gualala — a small, rural town in Mendocino County — I support community members who are in various stages of recovery from substance use disorder. I work on the frontlines of the fentanyl crisis in California, helping people in recovery and providing community resources and access to fentanyl test strips and Naloxone, a medicine that reverses or reduces the effects of opioids.

But like many people in recovery, I didn’t get here by happenstance. I was deeply addicted to cocaine, opiates, alcohol and benzodiazepines. These substances ruled my life for years.

Back then, my only worry on a daily basis was where I would get drugs next. My substance abuse disorder came before my health, my family and my job.

In 2018, I fell unconscious for a full day-and-a-half while caring for my daughter. She couldn’t wake me up or call for help, as my weighted body laid on top of my cell phone. She thought I was dead.

I woke up to a note written by family friends saying my daughter was safe at their home. That day my life changed. It was my rock bottom, and the wake-up call I desperately needed.

Today, I am proud to say that I am now more than six years sober. So, when I say that community is at the core of everything I do, it’s true: This mantra is my absolute passion and purpose in life.

In 2022, “drug overdose was a leading cause of death between ages 15–64,” according to the California Department of Public Health. And Mendocino County, where I work, consistently ranks high for overdose rates in California. Preliminary data from 2023 shows the county saw 40 overdose-related deaths per 100,000 residents.

But it’s not just Mendocino County. The reality is that fentanyl is prevalent in communities across California. And, according to Brown University, cold weather increases the risk of fatal opioid overdoses. That means that this conversation is more relevant now, during the darker, colder winter months.

What many people don’t understand is that fentanyl is a silent killer. You cannot smell or taste fentanyl when it is laced in a drug. And it can be found in many illicit substances, such as heroin, cocaine and counterfeit prescriptions.

When it comes to the fentanyl crisis, it truly takes a village. And until we’re willing and able to come together as a community and start having real conversations with our children, family members and friends about the risks of using, more lives will be lost.

One of the ways communities have been able to address the fentanyl crisis is by empowering individuals — including those who do not use drugs — with Naloxone, a life-saving medication that saves lives.

Mendonoma Health Alliance is a hub for Naloxone distribution in our area. We have distributed 1,254 boxes of the medication over the last five years. Just like the emergency kit in our home or cars, Naloxone is not something we ever want to have to use, but it is a life-saving resource we know we can depend on if the situation arises.

This holiday season, we as parents, family and friends must begin and continue conversations about the risk of fentanyl. Holiday gatherings provide a great opportunity to come up with a safety plan that includes Naloxone. Without that “village” or community of support and open conversations about the risks of fentanyl and substance abuse disorder, more people will die.

I encourage you to talk with your loved ones and seek out resources like FactsFightFentanyl.org, where you can learn life-saving information, including where you can access Naloxone in your community. If you or someone you love struggles with opioid or substance abuse disorder, reach out to a community health organization, like Mendonoma Health Alliance.

The spirit of the holidays is love, community and togetherness. When we come together and look out for each other, we can build safer, healthier communities.

This story was originally published December 23, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "This holiday season, it’s time we sat down and talked about fentanyl. Here’s why | Opinion."