The city of West Hollywood is working to bring attention to the devastation fentanyl-laced drugs are wreaking on residents, especially in the LGBTQ+ community.
At a town hall forum on Wednesday night, Dr. Siddarth Puri from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health highlighted the seriousness of the overdose epidemic in the local community.
“In the past year, there were 135 suspected overdoses from fentanyl, and 25 fatal overdoses,” he said. “What’s important to know about that number is that it doesn’t capture the full picture, because many overdoses go unrecorded, especially if they’re reversed.”
Other drugs of concern in West Hollywood are methamphetamine and xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer that’s recently emerged as another contributor to overdoses nationwide.
The panel discussion was moderated by Darwin Rodriguez, program manager at the Institute for Public Strategies. Rodriguez said the goal was to make people aware of the dangers of street drugs and the steps residents can take to protect themselves.
“Of course, our first message is don’t use, but our second message is, if you’re going to use, please be as safe as you can, reduce harm as much as you can, and naloxone is just one of the ways you can do that,” he said.
Naloxone, sold under the brand name Narcan, can reverse opioid overdoses if administered in time. However, it has no effect on xylazine overdoses.
The full town hall can be watched on the City of West Hollywood’s YouTube channel.
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