Fresno County reports decrease in overdose deaths on Fentanyl Awareness Day

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno County reports a alteration successful fentanyl-related overdose deaths implicit the past fewer years arsenic the District Attorney's bureau announced charges against a antheral accused of selling pills containing the deadly cause to a pistillate who died past month.

In 2021, determination were 114 fentanyl-related deaths successful Fresno County. That fig dropped to 98 successful 2022 and to 94 successful 2023.

"I judge that successful peculiar Fresno County, we've done an outstanding occupation astatine making radical alert of the fentanyl epidemic," said Flindt Andersen, laminitis of Parents and Addicts In Need (P.A.I.N.).

So acold this year, the region said determination person been 26 fentanyl overdose deaths. One of the astir caller was 34-year-old Vernisha Green, who was recovered dormant connected April 17. Authorities said that was 1 time aft she purchased pills from 25-year-old Antwane Lee.

Lee has been charges with 2nd grade murder. If convicted helium faces 15 years to beingness successful prison.

RELATED: Suspected cause trader charged with murder, allegedly sold pills containing fentanyl to victim

He was already successful custody astatine the Fresno County Jail for a probation usurpation erstwhile the charges came down Tuesday.

While Fresno County's consciousness run has proven to assistance summation the organisation of Narcan and alteration the fig of overdose deaths, the stats truly lone archer portion of the story.

"We ever person to accidental determination is nary cure for addiction, but it's doable and manageable and successful my sentiment we person already mislaid the warfare connected drugs and present we're starting to suffer the warfare connected recovery," said Andersen.

Andersen said the adjacent hurdle is improving attraction to get radical who are addicted into recovery, due to the fact that the prevalence of the deadly cause is truthful heavy.

"This is what scares maine the astir -- it's the different drugs that are retired determination that are laced with fentanyl. The fig 1 drug, of course, is cocaine," said Andersen.

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