California seizes 28,765 pounds of fentanyl in 2022
DEA illustration of 2 milligrams of fentanyl, a lethal dose in most adults.
Amount of fentanyl seized this year enough to, ‘potentially kill the entire population of North America, twice’
– California Governor Gavin Newsom released the following statement on the end-of-year numbers in California’s ongoing fight against the opioid epidemic:
“The opioid crisis has touched every part of California, and our nation, this year. As we mourn the many lives lost, California is working harder than ever to fight this crisis and protect people from these dangerous drugs to ensure our communities are kept safe in the first place,” said Governor Newsom. “California is cracking down on the fentanyl crisis – increasing seizures, making resources more available to Californians, and ensuring communities have what they need to combat the immeasurable harm opioids have caused our society, our communities, and our loved ones.”
Key numbers
- 28,765 pounds seized by law enforcement with support from the California National Guard in support of law enforcement during 2022, an estimated street value of more than $230 Million and saving potentially hundreds of millions of lives, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
- 594% increase in fentanyl seized by law enforcement with help from the California National Guard compared to 2021.
- 166 new guard members hired, trained, and embedded by California’s National Guard to support the Governor’s initiative to reduce deadly fentanyl in communities.
- More than $1 Billion invested since the beginning of the Newsom Administration to address the opioid crisis, with CalHHS investing $450 Million in the current fiscal year.
Recent action
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is making millions of dollars in grants available to address the ongoing opioid epidemic. Today, the department announced it will bolster efforts to raise awareness of the life-saving drug Naloxone by working with colleges and universities across California.
Earlier this month, the department announced that millions of dollars in grants are available to help improve patient care in the areas of substance use disorder, opioid use disorder, and addictions. Last week, the department announced that millions of dollars in new grants were now available to tackle youth opioid use, including schools and other nonprofit organizations.
In July, the state of California received more than $100 million as part of the national opioid settlement with multiple major pharmaceutical companies. And as part of last year’s budget, Governor Newsom provided additional funding to increase the California National Guard’s capacity to combat the fentanyl crisis and support federal, state, and local law enforcement counter-narcotic investigations and operations.
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