Riverside County continues fight against fentanyl abuse
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors is launching a fentanyl abuse awareness campaign to combat the rising cases of overdoses and deaths from the drug.
Since 2016 there has been an 800% increase in fentanyl related deaths in Riverside County. Since the start of 2021, there have been 43 deaths already.
The board approved a new initiative, that will establish a multidisciplinary committee to inform the public about the dangers of the drug.
The committee will be tasked with providing quarterly reports on the County's efforts to fight fentanyl abuse, identify gaps in the County's response and recommend solutions, and to seek state and federal grants for fentanyl abuse awareness and education.
The effort was spearheaded and sponsored by Chari Karen Spiegel and Supervisor Chuck Washington.
"The far-reaching devastation of fentanyl is measured in human lives and families ripped apart," said Supervisor Karen Spiegel. "Through the establishment of this countywide campaign, we are taking a crucial step forward in the fight against this epidemic."
"Fentanyl has rapidly become a public health crisis. We have to take it seriously and confront the issue directly so that we can keep our communities safe, prevent addiction and save lives," said Supervisor Chuck Washington.
The vote in favor of this campaign comes months after the Riverside County District Attorney's Office became the first in Southern California to file a murder charge against a person suspected of selling or providing fentanyl-laced drugs that resulted in someone's death.
