California launches website to support fight against opioids
California launched a new website this week to support the state’s fight against the growing opioid epidemic.
Residents of the Golden State can visit opioids.ca.gov to find information on opioid prevention, data, treatment centers and other services offered by state agencies. Californians can also see the state’s use of opioid settlement funds, estimated in the billions of dollars, and efforts to hold drug-traffickers accountable.
The announcement comes shortly after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his administration’s plan to tackle the opioid crisis, including the expansion of military-supported operations that last year led to a 594% increase in seized fentanyl and historic levels of funding — $1 billion statewide – to combat the epidemic.
As part of the plan, California is also investing nearly $8 million in local organizations across the state to support education, testing, recovery and support services to make medical care more accessible to communities that are susceptible to overdoses.
“The opioid crisis touches every person and every community in the country,” Newsom said in a press release. “This new website aims to support all Californians, from victims of the crisis to their loved ones to providers, and more.”
This new government website offers Californians practical resources on prevention, including step-by-step guidance for responding to suspected or confirmed opioid overdoses, in addition to other substance use disorders – information state officials say is critical to combat the ongoing epidemic in California and across the country.
Opioids continue to be a main driver of drug overdose deaths in California and across the country. More than 83,000 opioid-related overdose deaths occur annually in the United States and more than 90% of those involve fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 7,000 Californians died from opioid-related deaths in 2022, according to CDC.
