Centralia Elementary*

Illicit fentanyl is a pervasive problem in Orange County. Response: CESD agrees with the finding. Law enforcement has identified illicit Fentanyl as a pervasive problem in Orange County. According to CalMatters.org, California witnessed a staggering 121% increase in opioid-related deaths within a span of merely three years, from 2019 to 2021. The primary culprit behind the vast majority of these fatalities was identified as fentanyl. In 2021, Orange County ranked 8th among all counties in California with the highest incidence of Fentanyl-related overdoses. The rate of such overdoses in Orange County was recorded at 21.352 per 100k residents, surpassing the overall rate in California (15.625), Riverside (17.053), Los Angeles (13.752), and San Diego (20.125), as reported by the California Department of Public Health. (CDPH).

Orange County will benefit by establishing a chartered multiagency Task Force to address fentanyl crisis Orange County. Response: CESD agrees with the finding. A chartered multi-agency Task Force has the potential to create a more focused, collaborative, and effective response to the fentanyl crisis in Orange County, and reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic on the community . This decision-making should be left to Orange County law enforcement to determine the best course of action in this matter.

As long as there is a demand, producers will find ways to supply drugs. Orange County cannot law enforce its way out of the fentanyl crisis. Education, prevention, and treatment are critical to reducing demand. Response: CESD agrees with the finding.

There is a need to increase public awareness and acknowledgement of the risks of illicit fentanyl. Response: CESD agrees with the finding. In March 2023, CESD co-hosted a community town hall in Buena Park on this topic, along with local law enforcement, the OC Health Care Agency and other neighboring districts. The Honorable Maria D. Hernandez Presiding Judge Orange County Superior Court August 18, 2023

Some educational institutions are not participating in available educational and preventive fentanyl/drug program. Response: CESD partially disagrees with the finding. CESD is consistent in its practices concerning participation of educational and preventative fentanyl/drug programs across the district. We can only respond to practices in our district, not about other districts.