(ROSEVILLE, CA) – As the California State Legislature is sworn in December 5, 2022, at noon, the Placer County District Attorney’s Office has a clear message for the 2023-24 class: the time is now to act on the fentanyl crisis in a meaningful way.  

“The fentanyl crisis is one of the most pressing issues affecting our state and nation,” said Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire. “Today’s swearing in marks a new group of members who can take action immediately on this critical issue. The people of California deserve meaningful legislative action on this deadly epidemic.”  

According to the CDC, fentanyl is now the number one killer of 18–45-year-olds, surpassing car accidents and suicides. Placer County saw a 450% increase in fentanyl deaths from 2019-2021. The DEA recently released a report stating a 50% increase in deadly street drugs that are being distributed into local communities.  

The Placer County District Attorney’s Office has made fighting the fentanyl crisis a top priority and has been a leader in prosecutorial approaches to the issue. From the filing of murder charges against drug dealers who are aware of the deadliness of the drugs they sell, to admonishments in court warning of the dangers of fentanyl, the office is continuously looking for avenues to hold drug dealers accountable and reduce the fentanyl supply in the county.  

Even more critically, the District Attorney’s Office is working with community partners and families affected by the fentanyl epidemic to increase awareness and reduce the fentanyl demand through participating in an aggressive proactive outreach campaign – 1 Pill can Kill Placer. The campaign has reached hundreds of thousands of residents through school presentations, billboards, movie theater ads, bus wraps, tax inserts, social media marketing, and more.  

“We have made significant advancements in our efforts to tackle this issue, but there is much more to be done,” said Gire. “We need effective policies at a state level to help combat this issue across county lines. We look forward to having these important discussions with the legislature this upcoming session”.  

The Placer County District Attorney’s Office has created a petition for residents to sign to encourage the State Legislature to act on the fentanyl crisis this legislative session. The petition can be found here: www.placer.ca.gov/8458/Fentanyl-petition