The Drug Crisis in Fresno

Drug Abusedrugabuse.gov

There isn't a day that goes by where we don't read in our local papers of deaths reportedly due to drugs.

Whether it's heroin, cocaine, or fentanyl, the numbers keep rising, and things aren't getting any better.

Fentanyl

FentanylABC 30 News

Here in Fresno and surrounding cities, the number of overdose deaths due to fentanyl has gone from 2 deaths in 2018 to 33 deaths in 2020. Sheriff Margaret Mimms had this to say, "I don't think it's a COVID thing." "It's just that there's a demand."

Pills made from fentanyl and not controlled as to the strength of the dose are reaching kids in the community at a price that they can afford, $25-$30 per pill.

Drug dealers are finding out how easy it is to mix fentanyl with other drugs to make it more desirable and addictive to people.

Studies conducted around the country show more overdoses with minorities and people that are less affluent. Still, here in Fresno and other cities, affluent families feel the pain of losing their kids to fentanyl.

Police in Fresno have joined federal investigators by starting a special fentanyl division to stop the drug's flow before it gets even more prominent.

Through their investigative work, the police find young users well aware of the dangers of overdosing. Many of these users are carrying their own personal Narcan(opioid overdose reversal drug) in the event of an overdose by them or friends with them.

Most of the drugs coming into Fresno and other areas are traced back to Mexico. The M30 pills are sold for $25-$30 and are often mixed in basic kitchen appliances once in the United States with no control over the amount added to each pill.

Other Culprits

MethamphetamineABC 30 News

This drug isn't the only drug causing overdose deaths either. Take Methamphetamine, for instance.

Methamphetamine contributed to 77 deaths in Fresno in 2019. The total for 2020 as of now hasn't been reported, but officials are expecting it to be higher.

In the country of Fresno, total deaths in 2019 from all drug overdoses totaled 164, a jump from 123 in 2018.

Due to the pandemic, drug programs like 12 Steps and others have been closed this past year without reaching potential users when they need help.

The Center for Disease Control for the United States reported that more than 81,000 people died from an overdose, and most of them were from fentanyl, with Methamphetamine coming in a close second.

Getting Help

The CDC also noted that intervention was vitally important to help slow down the use of illicit drugs and deaths due to an overdose.

In a report from the American Psychological Association, they concluded that there was an increased demand for mental health services due to the pandemic.

The CDC also reported that 13 percent of Americans stated that they were more likely to consume and abuse drugs and alcohol during the pandemic.

In Fresno, the help provided by the Department of Behavioral Health, run by Dawan Utecht, had to change their outreach efforts during the pandemic to keep up with demand for their services. Providing help via online services has now become their central focus.

Of course, with everything comes obstacles. For instance, not all people in need of help have a computer or access to a computer for treatment online and even if they do, talking online isn't comfortable to many in need.

Finally, there are privacy issues for people in need of help who live in an overcrowded home and don't want their substance abuse known.

The Solution

That's a big question mark right now. Everyone is doing their part to help with the drug problem in the United States and here in Fresno and Fresno County, but how much is enough.

The Fresno Police all carry Narcan with them for emergencies which is excellent, but that doesn't stop the flow of drugs into the area.

Undercover police are out there, but there aren't enough to go around due to budgetary issues, and many are overworked and underpaid.

It's not just here in Fresno either. It's the same all over the country.

Everyone wants to end drugs, but at what cost?

Saying "Just say No" isn't the answer any longer. As long as prices can stay down and users get high, "saying no" isn't in their vocabulary.

They may state they want to get clean or want help like some I've talked to in the past year, but when it comes time to get that help, or it's offered to them, they run the other way. According to the few I spoke with for this article, getting high is way more fun than dealing with life.

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