School districts countywide establish anti-fentanyl classes
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) - Keeping kids away from fentanyl to save their lives will be among the themes emphasized during the current academic year at school districts throughout Riverside County.
"The county's efforts to fight fentanyl on all fronts have helped reduce deaths at a rapid pace, but we are not done,'' Board of Supervisors Chair Karen Spiegel said.
Under state Assembly Bill 2429, ratified in 2024, school districts are required to implement a structured "Fentanyl Awareness Curriculum'' during health classes, in an effort to further spread awareness about the potentially toxic synthetic opioid.
"The Fentanyl Awareness Curriculum is a first-of-its-kind tool to help schools and communities address the growing dangers of fentanyl, making it particularly impactful,'' county Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez said.
Relying on eight 50-minute sessions spread throughout a single semester, high school students will be educated on the dangers of fentanyl.
"The curriculum will contain vetted information, instructional materials, and lessons that build awareness, empower decision-making and promote student well-being,'' according to the county Office of Education.
Sessions are slated to include explanations of different types of drugs and the particular perils associated with them, with the spotlight on fentanyl, featuring student activities to help them learn how to recognize it.
Fentanyl Prevention & Awareness Day will be Friday, Aug. 21, serving to underscore the "Faces of Fentanyl'' campaign undertaken by the county in 2022, which led in 2025 to the creation of instructional materials for schools.
Officials partly credit the campaign with the steady decline in fentanyl poisonings, which last year dropped to 251, compared to a high of 545 in the year ending February 2024.
"We believe prevention and prosecution go hand in hand,'' District Attorney Mike Hestrin said. "That's why we're working to keep educating our kids to make safe choices and holding accountable those who put poison on our streets."
The state-mandated curriculum will rely on resources from public safety and healthcare agencies.
Since passage of AB 2429, school districts in other counties have turned to Riverside County and its Faces of Fentanyl campaign for examples of how to set up curricula.
Additional information is available at https://www.rcoe.us/services-for-districts/instructional-services/content-areas/health-education/fentanyl-awareness-curriculum/.
