Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday released his administration’s master plan for tackling the fentanyl and opioid crisis. The Master Plan builds on the Governor’s previous $1 billion investment, which included the expansion of California National Guard-supported operations that last year led to a 594 percent increase in seized fentanyl.
Newsom said the Master Plan outlines aggressive steps to support overdose prevention efforts, hold the opioid pharmaceutical industry accountable, crack down on drug trafficking, and raise awareness about the dangers of opioids, including fentanyl.
“Over 150 people die every day in our nation from overdoses and poisonings related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl,” Newsom said in a news release. “Enough.”
Newsom said he plans to crack down on transnational criminal organizations trafficking this poison into our communities, while prioritizing harm reduction strategies to reduce overdose.
According to the news release, millions of Americans suffer from opiate addiction and more than 71,000 Americans died in 2022 alone from fentanyl-linked overdoses and drug poisonings. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, a vast majority of fentanyl in the U.S. comes via ports of entry at the border through trafficking by organized crime rings. ■
