On Fentanyl Awareness Day, CA announces seizure of more than 3 million fentanyl pills since start of 2024
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Tuesday is National Fentanyl Awareness Day, and new statistics released by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office show just how much progress officials have made in stopping the deadly drug from entering California.
In a press release issued Tuesday, Newsom’s office announced that the California National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force assisted in the seizure of 3.4 million fentanyl pills statewide – including at ports of entry and along the border – since the beginning of the year.
Southern California father arrested in shooting of wife, 10-year-old son: SBSD
Those 3.4 million pills equate to roughly 7,100 pounds of fentanyl, which is about the same weight as a limousine.
Over 5,000 pounds and nearly 1.3 million pills were seized in March alone, the governor’s office said.
“As we recognize the serious dangers of illegal fentanyl, California is continuing to tackle this issue head-on,” Newsom said. “Our efforts are getting this poison off our streets and out of our communities as we continue to support people struggling with substance use.”
Southern California authorities solve 33-year-old cold case murder
After a 2023 visit to the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego County, Newsom released a master plan for combating the fentanyl and opioid crisis, investing over $1 billion to increase law enforcement and fund CalRx’s Naloxone Access Initiative, which seeks to have California manufacture its own supply of the opioid overdose-reversing medicine and eventually procure enough to give away packs for free.
This past April, California partnered with a New Jersey company to make its own generic version of Narcan.
Newsom’s project is thought to be the first time a state will distribute a generic medication under their own state label.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
