After years of rising overdoses in Los Angeles County, health officials are reporting a drop in the number of deaths caused by the two most dangerous culprits – fentanyl and methamphetamine.
“We saw a 22% decline in overdose-related deaths in 2024 compared to 2023,” Brian Hurley, MD, the medical director, Substance Abuse Prevention and Control, County of LA, Department of Public Health (DPH), said during an American Community Media (ACoM) briefing.
While this drop indicates notable progress, it’s not the same picture in every community. Higher numbers of overdose deaths continue in areas with higher poverty levels.
“Black residents continue to have the highest rate of [fentanyl] overdoses compared to other county residents … and because in LA we’re a county that has a large number of Latino residents, Latinos are the highest by raw numbers of residents who experience overdose,” Hurley explained. “So it remains true that we have racial disparities between who ends up in our medical examiner’s office with an overdose death.”
Brian Hurley MD
“We have racial disparities between who ends up in our medical examiner’s office with an overdose death.”
With a public health department, mental health department and health services department, LA County offers numerous services to mitigate substance use, yet it remains challenging for health care providers to catch the large numbers of those impacted and those in need have reported finding it difficult to access the right services, especially during a crisis.
Shoshanna Scholar, the director of Harm Reduction Division, LA Department of Health Services, said the county is investing in building healthier neighborhoods and communities from Antelope Valley to East LA.
For National Public Health Week, which began on Mon. April 6-12, both Hurley and Scholar partnered with others in the field at a community event in Palmdale held at Pueblo Y Salud, a drug and alcohol prevention program located in the Antelope Valley and in the City of San Fernando.
The Antelope Valley has been known as an area hit hard by increased homelessness and a history of street drugs.
At the Palmdale community event, LA county facilitators demonstrated how, during an emergency, almost anyone, whether you are a neighbor, friend or family member, can administer the “overdose reversing drug,” Naloxone (Narcan). They also provided a tour of a local drop-in center and discussed how to navigate support services.
They promoted the campaign ByLAforLA.org – Rewriting LA County’s Story – which “aims to raise awareness about resources for overdose prevention and reduce stigma for people who use drugs.” The campaign humanizes those who are caught in the grip of drug use.
Harm reduction, adequate programs for prevention, treatment and recovery are cited as main steps to continue to bring down the numbers and save lives.
“Even though there has been a significant increase in education, much more work needs to be done,” said Ruben Rodriguez, executive director of Pueblo Y Salud. “Drugs and alcohol go hand in hand. The alcohol industry, with its deep pockets, continues to promote consumption,” he said. “Minority communities are the most impacted with the presence of more billboards, bars, liquor stores and restaurants serving alcohol. The problem multiplies,” said Rodriguez. “Young people are now vaping drugs in more concentrated form and can wind up in the emergency room.”
Providing direct services, including “street medicine” – access to naloxone and housing for those living on the street, has brought progress. Last month, a report released by the county DPH indicated a 21% decline in drug overdose deaths among the unhoused. At the same time, there is concern about the availability of funding in the future. Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for LA’s unhoused population.
“Everyone’s experience with substance use and homelessness is very different, and comes from different places,” said Aurora Morales, associate director of community initiatives, Homeless Health Care LA (HHCLA).
She speaks frankly from firsthand experience. “I was raised in a pretty sheltered household. … I was kind of isolated and when I grew up and life presented itself, choices were made, and circumstances, you know, arise from those choices. I ended up experiencing homelessness and being addicted to crystal meth for a few years.”
Morales said she needed a base of community, support, love and non-stigmatizing care. “Listening and sharing personal experience should be a focus of harm reduction. We have people out there right now with their boots on the ground actively engaging with folks in a real, personal way.”
Next week, we continue our coverage with public health care professionals from the ACoM briefing who describe community hubs, new programs and boots on the ground overdose prevention teams that together are saving lives.
Alejandro JSM Chavez contributed to this article.