County statistics show that deaths from fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, more than doubled in the past two years, while seizures of the drug along the San Diego-Mexico border continue to rise.
San Diego saw a sharp increase in fentanyl related deaths during the region's COVID lockdowns in particular.
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Health officials project the number of deaths due to fentanyl overdose this year will reach a staggering 700 people.
Dr. Carla Marienfeld is a board-certified addiction psychiatrist at UC San Diego.
She joined Midday Edition on Wednesday to talk more about the increase in fentanyl usage in San Diego.