Fentanyl overdose victims memorialized at mall in Modesto kcra.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kcra.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Health officials in Stanislaus County have detected the first overdose deaths blamed on a potent mixture of the animal tranquilizer known as xylazine and street fentanyl.
Stanislaus County sees sharp increase in opioid deaths
The opioid epidemic, already a problem in the region, was made worse over the previous year, with Stanislaus County recording an increase of overdose deaths from opioids.
In 2020, Stanislaus County recorded 132 total deaths from overdose, which is an increase of 59 percent from 2019, according to the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency. Of the 132 overdose deaths, 78 were opioid related. White residents continue to experience the highest opioid death rate, but the largest increase was seen in 18- to 24-year-olds in the Latinx community. This segment of the population saw an increase of 150 percent from 2019 to 2020, the SCHSA reported.