New Study Finds California Especially Vulnerable to Fentanyl Crisis

Authorities seized about 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills and two handguns during a traffic stop on Interstate 5 in Los Baños, Calif., on Oct. 4, 2024. California Highway Patrol

Nearly 13,000 people died in California of drug overdoses between May 2023 and May 2024, the highest total of any U.S. state, according to a report issued on Dec. 3 by Hollywood Hills Recovery, a drug abuse treatment and recovery center in Los Angeles.

The state’s “porous border” and proximity to Mexico make it uniquely susceptible to the fentanyl crisis, it stated. Ninety percent of the fentanyl used in the United States comes from Mexico, according to the report.

“California is at the epicenter of the fentanyl crisis, and this report is a call to action,” Nicholas Aboolian, a cofounder of Hollywood Hills Recovery and the report’s author, said in a Dec. 5 statement. “Through evidence-based treatment, prevention efforts, and judicial reform, we can save lives and restore hope to families and communities impacted by this epidemic.”

The report sheds light on the state’s drug overdose trends and the economic impact of the fentanyl crisis in California.

According to the study, fentanyl accounted for nearly 70 percent—or 74,702—of drug overdose deaths nationwide in 2023.

California led the nation with 12,835 deaths between May 2023 and May 2024, the group found.

Drug use by vulnerable groups—such as immigrants and agricultural workers—also impacted California more than other states.

Other findings showed relapse rates for fentanyl users were as high as 95 percent, which was significantly higher than for any other drug, including heroin or alcohol, at 78 percent and 68 percent, respectively.

Health care costs for opioid overdoses total $11 billion annually in the country, while critical care costs were $20,500 on average per patient, according to the report.

Youth are particularly vulnerable, with adolescent overdose deaths increasing by nearly 50 percent between 2019 and 2020, according to the report.

“Fentanyl is devastatingly potent, which is why even people who use it on doctor’s advice become rapidly dependent on the substance,” the report states. “Adolescents are particularly at risk of falling prey to this drug through experimentation with illicit pills.”

The study emphasized a way to combat fentanyl addiction that included effective treatments with medication, behavioral counseling, and inpatient rehabilitation.

Authorities found packages of fentanyl hidden inside carne asada beef during a traffic stop on Interstate 5 in Fresno County, Calif., on Oct. 3, 2024. California Highway Patrol

The report suggests using buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone to normalize brain chemistry, relieve cravings, and prevent withdrawal symptoms.

The report also stresses the potential of using drug courts and alternative sentencing to reduce the rates of convicts returning to jail or prison, and to help offenders reintegrate into their communities.

The opioid crisis cost the U.S. economy $1.02 trillion in 2017, according to the report, and in California, the cost topped $36.5 billion.

This included lost productivity, health care costs, and the societal impact of addiction on families and communities.

California’s drug overdose death rate is 20 for every 100,000 residents, but several other states topped that, with West Virginia leading the nation at 71 deaths per 100,000, according to another report released in September by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit that provides information on health issues. The national rate was 24 per 100,000.

The foundation also found opioid overdose death rates were highest among Native Americans in 2023. The second highest was found in the black population, followed by the white and Hispanic populations. Asians and Pacific Islanders had the lowest death rates.