Supervisors declare May 9 as Fentanyl Awareness Day; fight against epidemic continues

As a continued commitment to fighting the fentanyl epidemic in Placer County, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a proclamation Tuesday declaring May 9, 2023, as Fentanyl Awareness Day. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used for pain relief and is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more than heroin, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The staff report notes the drug is currently the number one killer of individuals aged 18-45, and the county saw a 450-percent increase in fentanyl deaths from 2019-21. "... The Board of Supervisors does find that the aforesaid conditions and scope of extreme peril warrant and necessitate the importance of passing a proclamation of this nature," the proclamation reads. The proclamation notes the county stands behind "One Pill Can Kill," a multi-agency campaign to address the fentanyl crisis. According to the staff report, campaign efforts include the "One Pill Can Kill" Placer podcast, mailer inserts sent to 175,000 households and sharing the message to schools, resulting in 30,000 students reached to date. "The goal of our fentanyl campaign was to hit this crisis from all angles," Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire told the board Tuesday. Efforts also consist of the Placer County Sheriff's Office, Placer Special Investigations Unit and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team removing the drug from Placer streets, as well as the Placer County District Attorney's Office filing three murder charges related to fentanyl deaths. The staff report notes Placer was the first in the nation to file murder charges against a fentanyl dealer. Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo shared there were 38 fentanyl overdoses in the Placer community in 2022. Woo noted the impact Placer's campaign has had in bringing down statistics as, in comparison, there have been five confirmed fentanyl overdoses to date. Following Gire and Woo's presentation, the board expressed thanks to all departments involved in the "One Pill Can Kill" campaign and the efforts taken to save the lives of Placer's residents. In addition to the proclamation, the board approved the acceptance of a $500 cash donation from Chris Didier, a Placer County resident whose son, Zach Didier, passed away in December 2020 due to fentanyl poisoning. According to the staff report, the donation will be used in support of the continued marketing of the "One Pill Can Kill" podcast. To learn more about "One Pill Can Kill," visit 1pillcankillplacer.com. The podcast can be accessed at 1pillcankillplacer.com/podcast.