California seized enough fentanyl in 2023 to kill more than 14 billion people — twice the entire global population.
The California National Guard (CalGuard) seized 62,224 pounds of fentanyl in 2023, a 1066 percent increase in seizures since 2021. CalGuard estimates that the total fentanyl seized in 2023 has a $649 million street value.
“The California National Guard is committed to combatting the scourge of fentanyl,” adjutant general of CalGuard, Major General Matthew P. Beevers, said. “These extraordinary seizure statistics are a direct reflection of the tireless efforts of the highly trained CalGuard Service Members supporting law enforcement agencies statewide.”
A lethal dose of fentanyl is about 2 milligrams, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, which means that 60,000 pounds of fentanyl is enough to wipe out the global population, twice.
State officials have pledged more than $1 billion in recent years to fight California’s opioid crisis. Most opioid deaths in the state involve fentanyl; out of the state’s 7,385 opioid overdose-related deaths in 2022, 6,473 were related to a fentanyl overdose, according to the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard.
“Fentanyl is a poison, and it does not belong in our communities,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said. “California is cracking down – increasing seizures, expanding access to substance abuse treatment, and holding drug traffickers accountable to combat the immeasurable harm opioids have caused our communities.”
Officials in the state are divided over whether to treat the crisis as a public health or a public safety issue. Republican lawmakers have pushed for harsher penalties on drug dealers, while California Democrats have argued against addressing the situation with mass incarcerations.
In 2023, state lawmakers rejected bills that would increase sentences for individuals who kill through fentanyl poisoning and increase penalties for individuals in possession of more than 28.35 grams of fentanyl. Newsom has, however, implemented measures that “crack down on opioid trafficking and enforce the law, combat overdoses, support those with opioid use disorder, and raise awareness about the dangers of opioids,” his office said on Tuesday. The state requires stadiums and concert venues to carry overdose reversal drugs, such as naloxone, and also requires campus health centers at most public colleges and universities to give students access to Narcan.
One such program that some California cities implement to support individuals addicted to opioids is the harm reduction program, which aims to make drug use safer, not necessarily curb drug use altogether. Los Angeles County distributed free crack pipes and clean needles to residents as part of its $31.5 million harm reduction program last year, the Los Angeles Times reported.