FENTANYL DEATHS DROP 30% COUNTYWIDE, AS DRUG SEIZURES INCREASE

East County News Service

Image: Fentanyl pills seized by U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency

June 24, 2025 (San Diego) – Deaths from fentanyl dropped 30% countywide in 2024 over the prior year. That coincides with a major increase in drug seizures, including 1.9 million fentanyl pills worth more than $20 million over the past 18 months, Sheriff Kelly Martinez announced Monday in a press conference.

“When children as young as 13 years old began dying from using the drug, we knew we needed to act with more urgency,” said Martinez, who credits state and county funding for aiding law enforcement's crackdown on illlegal fentanyl sales.

The Sheriff’s office obtained $1 million in funding from the state in 2023 to combat fentanyl use, with help from Senator Brian Jones (R-Santee).  In 2024, Supervisors provided a half million dollars in funding for the Sheriff’s office to investigate fentanyl-related matters.

Supervisor Joel Anderson introduced the measure to boost funding for the crackdowns.  “Just think about those pills not on our streets,” he said. “These are drugs that if you use them once, you’re addicted for life.”

Increased distribution of Narcan to combat overdoses has also contributed to reducing the number of fentanyl-related deaths in San Diego County.