Drug overdoses killed more than 93,000 Americans in 2020 alone and while officials said the pandemic did not help opioids have continued to be a problem for years across the nation and in the state of California.
MOVING NOW TO A PROBLEM THAT'SONLY BEEN MADE WORSE BY THISPANDEMIC...DRUG OVERDOSES KILLED MORE THAN93-THOUSAND AMERICANS IN 20- 20ALONE.BUT THE ISSUE ISN'T NEW....OPIOIDS HAVE BEEN A PROBM LEFOR YEARS ACROSS THE NATION ANDIN THE STATE OFCALIFORNIA.THAT'S WHY THE DRUG ENFORCEMENTAGENCY ISHOSTING ITS 20TH ANNUAL NATIONALTAKEBACK DAY IN KERN COUNTY.23ABC'S BRNNIAA WILLIS JOINS USLIVE FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICEWITH MORE, BRIANNA?KEELEY KCSO HAS ALREADY SEENMORE DEATHS OMFENTANYL AT THE BEGINNING OFTHIS MONTH ALONE THAINNALL OF 20-20.THE DRUG PROBLEM ISNOT UNIQUE TO RNKE COUNTYTHROUGH .
THAT'S WHY OFFICIALSARE HOSTING THESECOND NATIONAL DRUG TAKEBACKDAY THIS YEAR ON SATURDAY."OVERDOSE DEATHS SOARED LASTARYE,ACROSS THE NATION WE SAW A 30PERCENT INCREASE IN DRUGOVERDOSE DTHEACOMPARED TO 20-19."JUST ONE PILL, SFFNI, OR WHIFFAND YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN ADRUG CAN KILL YOU.THE DRUG PROBLEM IS SOALINCREASING IN KERN COUNTYESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TOFENTANYL."THE CORONER'S OFFICE HASALREADYSEEN NEARLY 140 FENTANYL-RELATEDDEATHS AT THE BEGINNING OF THISMONTH WHICH SURPASSES THE TOTALNUMBER TT WE SAW IN 20-20 ANDTHAT'SSOMETHING THAT'S VERY SCAR" Y.DANIELLE KERNCAMP WITH THE KERNCOUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICESAYS ONE OF THE REASONS DEATHSARE SO COMMON IS BECAUSEPEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THATFENTANYL CAN BE IN OTHER DRUGS."THE PROBLEM OFTENTIMES IS THATPEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT FENTANYLISN ITHESE NARCOTICS THATTHEY'RELOOKING FOR ON THE STREETS WHICHIS WHY WE'VE SEEN SO MANYOVERDOSESLATELY.
IT'S BEING MIXED INTOEVERY DRUG OUT THERE, YOU NAMEIT TOINCREASE THE POTENCY OF IT ANDUSERS DON'T KNOW AND IT'SLEADING TOFATAL OVERDOSES."ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY HEALTHRANKINGS FROM 20-17 TO20-19.KERN COUNTY HAD 719 DRUGOVERDOSE DEATHS OF.THOSE 50 WERE WHITE AMERICANS .36 WERE BLACK OR AFRICANAMERICANS .12 WERE A PART OF THEHISPANIC OR LATINO COMMUNITY AND9 WERE ASIAN AMERICA.OFFICIALS SAY OFTENTIMESPRESCRIPTION DGSRERUSTOLEN OR CAN FALL INTO THEWRONG HANDS -- AND LACING THEMWITH ILLEGAL DRUGS -- CAN BEDEADLY.THAT'S WHY THE DEA IS HOSTINGTHEIR SECOND NATIONALPRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE-BACK DAYWHICH IS WHERE ANYONECAN EACLN OUT THEIR MEDICINECABINETS AND TURN INPRESCRIPTION DRUGS ANONYMOUSLYWITH NOQUESTIONS ASKED.."DISPOSING OF UNUSEDPRESCRIPTIONS PROPERLY CAN FIGHTAND EVEN PREVENT OPIOIDADDICTION.EXPIRED UNUSED AND LEFTOVERMEDICATION CAN BE DEADLY IF THEYFALLINTO THE WRONG HANDS.AND WHILE KCSO IS NOT HAVING ITSOWN TAKEBACK DAY THISWEEKEND THEY STILL ENCOURAGETHE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPA."IT'S JUST A REALLY EFFECTIVEWAY TOPREVENT DRUG ADDICTION ANDOVERDOSE DEATHS .SO WE ENCOUGERATHE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATETHIS WEEKEND AS IT'S A SAFE ANDRESPONSIBLE WAY TO GET FEWERDRUGS ON THE STREETS."KCSO'S TAKEBACDAK Y IS TYPICALLYIN THE SPRING .
BUT THERE E ARTHREE COLLECTION SITES LOCALLYONE WITH BPD, THEBEAR VALLEPOY LICE DEPARTMENT,AND THE TEHACHAPIPOLICE DEPARTMENT .
AND WE HAVETHE OSADDRESSES ON OUR WEBSITE TURN TO23 DOT COM.COMING UP AT 6 ..
WE'LL VEHAMORE ABOUT THE SYMPTOMS YOUSHOULD BE AWARE OF WHEN SOMEONEIS EXPERIENCINANGOVERDOSE.IN OILDALE .
BRIANNA WILLIS23ABC NEWS, CONNECTING YOU
All across the country, including in Omaha, people are dropping off prescription drugs they no longer want to use or are expired.
