Fentanyl

Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis

In 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 5,502 Californians died due to opioid overdose, and 3,946 died due to fentanyl overdose.

The United States has experienced the overdose epidemic in three distinct but interconnected waves: an increase in deaths stemming from prescription opioid overdoses beginning in the 1990s, an increase in heroin deaths starting in 2010, and a more recent surge in deaths from other illicit opioids, primarily fentanyl and its analogues.

Attorney General Bonta is addressing the fentanyl crisis through an all-in, multifaceted approach using ongoing enforcement, litigation, education and effective public policy strategies for prevention.