26-04-2025
Stanislaus County continues fentanyl awareness with empty chair display at mall
Stanislaus County agencies and volunteers will keep pressing for public awareness even though preliminary data showed a drop in fentanyl deaths last year.
The county's Opioid Safety Coalition will have an empty chair display at Vintage Faire Mall in Modesto through Tuesday, National Fentanyl Awareness Day. Each of the 173 chairs represents someone who died from taking the illegal drug or other overdoses in 2024.
County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services leads the coalition composed of county and public health staff, addiction experts, health professionals, hospital workers, educators and residents who have lost family members. Meetings are held at 9 a.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Stanislaus Veterans Center, 3500 Coffee Road, Modesto.
According to Coroner's Office data, illegal fentanyl resulted in 101 overdose or poisoning deaths in the county in 2024. A California Department of Public Health spokesperson said Thursday that the state's official count for 2023 was 127 fentanyl deaths in Stanislaus County, an increase from 116 in 2022.
The potent drug associated with the cautionary warning 'One pill can kill' was responsible for 86% of opioid deaths and 68% of drug-related deaths in the county in 2023.
That same year, drug overdose was the leading cause of death among adults 25 to 54 years old in California. Fatal overdoses were witnessed by a bystander 40% of the time, and knowing how to help might have saved many lives, CDPH said.
'While we do see the national data trending downward, the reality is our communities in California are still heavily impacted by fentanyl overdose,' said Shauna Simon, a research scientist for the substance and addiction prevention branch of CDPH.
Simon said the CDPH recommends that community members talk with friends, family members and neighbors about the signs of overdose, when to call 911 and how to administer Naloxone to stop an overdose. Many organizations are making the life-saving medication available to the public.
The nasal spray designed to reverse opioid overdoses can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies, which are stocking it more than previously.
Naloxone, often sold as Narcan, is designed to reverse overdoses until the person can receive medical attention.
The state's CalRX program makes Naloxone available for purchase online for $24 for a twin-pack, which is significantly less than the usual price for consumers. The state program began direct sales to consumers to expand access to the medication.
The CDPH's Facts Fight Fentanyl website presents the signs for recognizing an opioid overdose, including small, constricted pupils, loss of consciousness, slow or weak breathing, clammy skin, gurgling sounds and a limp body. The site has an instructional video on how to administer Naloxone nasal spray, along with other life-saving steps.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid sold illegally in pill form or mixed with other drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine. The county Coroner's office recorded 550 deaths related to fentanyl from 2018 through the end of 2024.
