08-05-2025
Ceres faces public health crisis amid rise in fentanyl deaths
( — The Ceres Police Department is sounding the alarm as the city faces a rise in fentanyl-related deaths.
While fentanyl-related deaths in Stanislaus County have declined compared to previous years, Ceres is prompting concern.
Last week, the Ceres Police Department said the city is now facing an urgent public health crisis due to a surge in opioid-related emergencies.
According to Ceres PD, there have been 44 fentanyl-related deaths in the county this year, with 6 of those occurring in Ceres alone. Additionally, the city has experienced a 35% increase in opioid-related emergency calls in the last month.
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'It's concerning,' said Jennifer Marsh, Prevention Services Coordinator with the Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. 'Ceres is being impacted right now by the fentanyl crisis… They are seeing a disproportionately higher amount of drug-related deaths and poisonings.'
As part of a broader effort to combat the crisis, hundreds of 6th graders at Walnut Grove Elementary School in Patterson this week took part in a powerful, hands-on education event known as the Drug Store Project.
Students engaged in realistic scenarios designed to show the consequences and dangers of drug use, including arrests and overdose responses, all led by local law enforcement and first responders.
'So that they're fully informed and they can see the ramifications student getting arrested or a student dying. That's the reality,' said Tracy Manzoni, assistant superintendent of the Patterson Unified School District.
County health officials say the rise in deaths is often linked to fake pills laced with fentanyl or other dangerous substances. Dr. Bernardo Mora, Medical Director for the county's Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, emphasized the importance of prevention and alerting people to keep away from substances purchased off the streets or other non-licensed sources.
'The number one thing I can think of in terms of prevention is for people not to experiment-not to try something that they're not as sure as they could be from somewhere reliable, I still consider reliable to be a pharmacy, a regular doctor,' said Dr. Mora.
Families affected by fentanyl are also stepping forward to help spread awareness. Advocates like Sofia Vivo and Tammey Karp, both lost loved ones to fentanyl and now share their stories at schools and events.
'I find it really heartbreaking,' said Vivo. 'But I also think that we have to acknowledge that Ceres isn't the first community in Stanislaus County, and unfortunately, it won't be the last.'
Karp says she wants others to keep the pain of losing a loved one in mind.
'When you lose a child, there's nothing that can imaginably come close to that,' said Karp. 'It is a grief that you will live with the rest of your life.'
Stanislaus County officials are urging families to have open conversations about the risk of drug use with their children and to seek out local resources.
Community members can also contact the Stanislaus County BHRS to ask about getting free Narcan, a life-saving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses.
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