This Holiday Season, Talk to Your Loved Ones About the Dangers of Fentanyl

By Dr. Tomás Aragón, Director and State Public Health Officer, California Department of Public Health

The holiday season is a wonderful time to connect and heal with loved ones. As we gather and celebrate, it’s nice to check in on and catch up with one another. For some, the holidays can prompt feelings of stress, anxiety, loneliness, and despair. These feelings can be particularly strong for those struggling with grief, addiction, or mental health challenges and could, unfortunately, lead to substance misuse or relapse. If someone you love is going through a tough time, the holidays present a great time to connect and seek or provide support.

In California, the loss of human life to opioids and, in particular, fentanyl has become all too common. The California Department of Public Health’s 2022 preliminary reports reflect that nearly 7,000 Californians died of an opioid-related overdose and more than 6,000 of those fatal overdoses involved fentanyl. Any amount of fentanyl is dangerous –even as small as a few grains the size of salt can be fatal. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize their drugs are contaminated until it’s too late. Any drug, regardless of its color, shape, or size, that does not come from a health care provider or pharmacist can potentially contain a deadly amount of fentanyl.

It is important for Californians to know that fatal drug overdoses are preventable. There are conversations we can have and actions we can take to protect our loved ones and communities from this crisis. Having conversations — especially with young people — is a relatively easy way to make a tremendous impact.

Here are some tips to start a conversation with a loved one about drug use:

• Plan a neutral time with no distractions so you can focus on the conversation.
• Be open and calm.
• Express your love and care.
• Give teens the scientific facts and explain the reality and risks of using drugs.
• Educate teens and young adults on naloxone, including how to use it and where to get it.
• Keep the conversation going beyond the holidays.
• Make together time with your loved one, show interest in their daily life and continue to build trust.

The California Department of Public Health is committed to encouraging Californians to have these conversations to reduce the harms we face from substance misuse and opioid overdose. Just this month, we launched our all-new opioids resource website, OPIOIDS.CA.GOV, a comprehensive website that gives Californians a single source of prevention, data, treatment, and support information. This website, as well as other guides, tools and resources are available for parents and guardians, teachers, community members and health care providers. Individuals can also call the National Overdose Response Line “Never Use Alone” at 1–877–696–1996.

We launched a statewide prevention and education campaign to address opioid overdose and educate Californians about the lifesaving treatment, naloxone. Also known as Narcan®, naloxone is easy to use and can be obtained over the counter at a pharmacy in California without a prescription for about $45. This holiday season, I encourage you to share this life saving information with loved ones and do your part in combatting the opioid crisis.

For more information about opioid and fentanyl overdose prevention, visit California’s all new Opioids Response website at opioids.ca.gov.