Local experts see it as a plateau, an indication the surge in fentanyl-related deaths could transition into a steady decline
Mike Ellis, center, and other family members hold photos of his son, Deven Ellis, who died of an overdose nearly three years ago, during a press conference commemorating International Overdose Awareness Day at the County Administration Center on Thursday.
The new data comes from an annual report card from the Substance Use Overdose Prevention Task Force, a countywide coalition that includes health care officials and law enforcement. Overdose fatalities from drugs or alcohol in the region more than doubled within a four-year period, from 645 people dying in 2019 to 1,300 such deaths in 2022.
Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark, from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s San Diego field office, blames drug cartels for the supply of illicit fentanyl and said Thursday that authorities seized 11.4 million counterfeit fentanyl pills along the southwest border last year. Harm reduction includes providing people with naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan. The drug comes in the form of nasal spray and can be carried on a keychain. Naloxone is available for free in 16 vending machines throughout the county, from jails to college campuses.
Bergmann noted that, historically, drug epidemics will rise, plateau and fall — think heroin and crack in the late 20th century. “And what is often at play in those periods of time when the epidemic curve starts to trend downward is a change in social perception,” he said.
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