Santa Clara County’s Fentanyl Working Group Sets Standard for State Legislation to Prevent Fentanyl Poisoning Deaths

Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) is calling for the expansion of Fentanyl prevention programming and services statewide to support schools and youth serving organizations. Cortese says he intends to introduce a statewide framework to prevent Fentanyl overdoses through a legislative vehicle in the upcoming 2023-24 state legislative session.

As reported recently by The Mercury News, fentanyl was responsible for an astounding one in five youth deaths (ages 15-to-24) in California last year.

Building on the work of Santa Clara County’s Fentanyl Working Group and in partnership with the Santa Clara County Office of Education, Senator Cortese’s proposal will focus on awareness as well as access to lifesaving Naloxone (Narcan) training and distribution at targeted locations with high populations of youth.

The legislation will include:

·      Distributing widespread information on the impact of fentanyl; and

·      Asking counties to set up Behavioral Health Advisory Councils; and

·      Establishing a Restorative Justice framework for unintentional possession by victims of spiking; and

·      Embedding fentanyl prevention groups in school-site councils to facilitate site-based decision making for schools; and

·      Providing schools with Narcan kits and training on how to mitigate the side effects of Fentanyl.

“The fentanyl crisis and its deadly effects on youth is of grave concern. Recent data shows fentanyl deaths amongst youth doubled in one year alone. We cannot wait for this crisis to exacerbate further. I am committed to introducing legislation rooted in prevention and education to combat the skyrocketing overdoses that have plagued youth statewide,” says California State Senator, Dave Cortese.

The framework will build off the successful prevention model being implemented in Santa Clara County in partnership with the Santa Clara County Office of Education, Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services, and the Santa Clara County Opioid Overdose Prevention Project.

“This crisis requires a comprehensive statewide, multipronged approach.  Schools have an essential role in both raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and keeping live saving medications on hand.  Through our program, we are ensuring that schools, communities, and families have access to Narcan. Narcan kits have been provided to attendees immediately after receiving the training and used successfully within days” says Santa Clara County Superintendent, Dr. Mary Dewan.

The Santa Clara County fentanyl-working group established by Supervisor Cindy Chavez and District Attorney Jeff Rosen last April has made great strides in supplying school districts with Narcan kits and training school staff members on how to administer Narcan, which in turn has already saved the lives of two high school students last month in San Jose.

“Narcan kits need to be in schools, in health clinics, bars and on public transportation,” says Santa Clara County Supervisor, Cindy Chavez. “There is still a great void of information for youth, parents, teachers and health care workers on the dangers of ordering pills and other narcotics online. A substantial number of youth have died because they ordered pills online that they didn’t know were laced with fentanyl. That is why we launched a fentanyl public service campaign on all platforms.”