ROSEVILLE, CA – The Placer County District Attorney’s Office is alerting residents of the recent U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration 2022 report that estimates more than 379 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl have been seized. The United States has only 332 million residents.   

Specifically, in 2022 the DEA seized of over 50.6 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. The report also shows the DEA seizing more than double the amount of fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills that was seized in 2021.  

This seizure report comes only weeks after a report showing a 50% increase in street pills that include deadly doses of fentanyl.  

Our local drug task forces have seized twice as much fentanyl in 2022 as they did in 2021. They have seen over an 100% increase in the quantity seized since 2018.  

Fentanyl is now the #1 killer of 18–45-year-olds, surpassing car accidents and suicides. Placer County saw a 450% increase in fentanyl deaths from 2019-2021, with half of those deaths being under the age of 25.  

The Placer County District Attorney’s Office has continued to tackle the fentanyl crisis directly by working to address the supply, while equally working to minimize the demand.   

From participating in the “1 Pill can Kill Placer” campaign, to working with families to address this issue with their kids, to aggressive enforcement and prosecution, to working on statewide legislation, to talking to over 30,000 Placer County students -- the Placer County District Attorney’s Office remains committed to fighting this deadly issue.  

This month, the office called on the California legislature to act on this crisis at a state level. Since then, local Assemblyman Joe Patterson has introduced two pieces of legislation working to fight the fentanyl crisis – Assembly Bill 18 and AB 19.  

• Sign the petition at placer.ca.gov/FentanylPetition   
• Learn more at 1PillcanKillPlacer.com and on the DA’s website at placer.ca.gov/FightingFentanyl  

• Read the DEA report at https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2022/12/20/drug-enforcement-administration-announces-seizure-over-379-million-deadly