Fentanyl Awareness Day: Local agencies are stepping up to fight crisis
NEVADA COUNTY — As fentanyl rips apart communities across the country, the message can't be more clear: one pill can kill. It's the message the DEA wants to get across on National Fentanyl Awareness Day.
"Many of them didn't know they were taking the deadliest drug our country has ever seen," said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.
And the fight is happening here locally. Toby Guevin is with the Nevada County Public Health Department. They're taking a harm reduction approach he says is evidence-based and works.
"What it asks us to do is approach the situation in a compassionate way, in a community-based way. Avoiding hurtful labels and things that keep people from reaching out," he said.
Fentanyl was involved in more deaths of Americans under 50 than any other cause of death. Youth deaths are the fastest growing among 14-23-year-olds. In Nevada County, their fight also includes making sure others in the community know how to use overdose reversal drugs like naloxone.
"And if each one of us can take that step, can get trained on how to use naloxone, find out where they can access it in the community, can learn about the fact that it's OK to carry," he said.
Guevin said they have business leaders, nonprofits, and regular citizens already stepping up, and they're going to need all the help they can get.
"It really is going to take all of us working together to overcome this and address the overdose crisis," he said.
Officials say many street drugs are laced with fentanyl, so if a pill is not prescribed to you or is from a pharmacy, assume it's fake.
