To combat the fentanyl crisis rapidly growing in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, federal and local law enforcement have launched a new public education campaign called "Death in Disguise".
According to a press release issued by U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, this program expands on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-led "One Pill Can Kill" campaign. As announced on Thursday, Jan. 26, "Death in Disguise" is a public outreach program geared at teaching the community the dangers of fentanyl through a "widespread engagement program", targeting schools and community groups in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The campaign will address the crisis that fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has created in both counties.
"Fentanyl is a deadly drug that is devastating our community. Our office continues the urgent work of educating our residents about the dangers of fentanyl and holding those accountable who peddle this poison in Riverside County," Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in the release.
According to "Faces of Fentanyl", a website about fentanyl, treatment resources and overdose data for Riverside County, 401 people died last year in the county as a result of a fentanyl overdose. By far, the greatest number of victims were male— 315, while females accounted for 86.
A breakdown by age shows that overdoses (206) predominately occurred among those 25-44, followed by 130 in the 45-64 age group. Overdoses were less frequent with those at the youngest and oldest end of the spectrum, totaling 49 for ages 15-24, but only 15 for ages 65-74. Many of the overdoses—195— have been tied to a deadly cocktail of fentanyl mixed with methamphetamine, the website said.
The fentanyl crisis is rising to such an extreme that San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said in Estrada's news release, "At the rates we are seeing, if a fentanyl poisoning hasn’t affected you personally, it soon will." Anderson said the responsibility "to fight the opioid crisis" falls on everyone in the county.
As part of the "Death in Disguise" campaign, federal officials have been working closely with members of the district attorneys' offices in creating age-appropriate presentations for students as well as for other community-based settings.
“Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is fueling poisonings and drug-caused deaths at historic rates and poses a greater risk to our communities than any other illicit drug in history,” Special Agent in Charge Bodner said in the release. "As we target individuals responsible for importing and distributing fentanyl, we are equally focused on educating and increasing awareness about fentanyl so individuals can make better-informed decisions. There’s not a community, family or person that is immune from the dangers of fentanyl, which is why our joint awareness efforts are widespread and boundless.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the DEA website, 107,375 people in the United States died of a drug overdose in 2021. The majority of these overdoses — 71,941 or 67% — involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl, with some of the deaths attributed to a cocktail of fentanyl with other illicit narcotics, such as cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. It was a surprise to many users that they were actually taking fentanyl, the CDC said.