Fentanyl Awareness

“Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.  “Fentanyl is everywhere.  From large metropolitan areas to rural America, no community is safe from this poison.  We must take every opportunity to spread the word to prevent fentanyl-related overdose death and poisonings from claiming scores of American lives every day.”

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than morphine and is now causing more deaths in Santa Clarita than almost anywhere else in Los Angeles County. This year alone, our valley has lost 23 people. We are highly concerned about our young people as many drugs including marijuana may contain deadly levels of fentanyl which cannot be seen, tasted, or smelled. The Hart District is working in partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the City of Santa Clarita to raise awareness and combat this issue impacting our students and community.

Fentanyl and other Opioids

In 2021, fentanyl and other opioids became the greatest drug threat by law enforcement, outranking methamphetamine by only 3%. Treatment and prevention respondents ranked fentanyl as the second greatest drug threat, followed closely behind methamphetamine. According to the 2023 GC HIDTA Drug Survey, forty-seven law enforcement respondents ranked fentanyl just above methamphetamine as the drug of greatest threat. The largest increase in mental health admission data was attributed to fentanyl in 2021 according to The Department of Mental Health. The overdose death rate in Alabama continues to increase. Jefferson County alone reported 316 fentanyl related overdose deaths in 2021, a 68% increase from 188 fentanyl related overdose deaths in 2020.

Education and Prevention Videos for Midde and High School