Poison Pill: San Diego's Battle Against Fentanyl

Been battling the addiction to the blues for a long time I have 95 days sober today ! If you're reading this and still stuck in that hell , YOU CAN DO THIS

You know...I've been sober from heroin for over six years. I recently had a relapse. And this fentanyl is NO JOKE. This is one of the hardest things I've ever gone through. I'm still battling this addiction. I'm scared I'll never get out of the woods. But i AM trying

My son passed away from suicide... I know it's not the same as a drug overdose... but when the mother said every day feels like the first day... She's sadly so correct... Justin was in the Air Force... he was only 25 years old... He passed on May 8, 15.... My life has been horrible every single second since... your life is defined as before and after.... it hurts beyond words to live every day without Justin here.... The pain of losing a child no matter what age they are is indescribable.... I feel like I am supposed to make sure I tell everyone about Justin... he's not here now to let people know he existed and he was so loved!!

Thank you all for what you're trying to do. I turned my son in for stupid crimes and asked the judge to give him more time. 15 months later I had a very grateful young man and I'm helping get him back on his feet. I know this is not over yet.

Anyone out there struggling with addiction: you may think no one cares and your life if worth nothing but I assure you, you are worth the help! You may have made people angry and they may have distanced themselves but you are still loved, you are important, you are irreplaceable. I woke up next to my husband, the father of my kids dead in 2009. Your loved ones never " get over" losing you. We fake a smile and pretend and we get through each day but there is a giant hole in our hearts. We don't get better, We just get better at living with the pain. You are priceless and worth saving. 💞

I just lost my 45 year old son to Fentanyl overdose, seeing this video is exactly what I am going through. My son Kenny was such a kind gentle caring person. I miss him so much, he left behind 2 sons. He died on March 23, 2023.

I’m a retired EMTA . Last year in my city Narcan became available free of charge at the downtown public library. Anyone can receive 3 to 4 doses any time the library is open. I became aware of drug users and dealers in my neighborhood, even though I don’t use, I keep 3 doses on hand just in case it’s needed by someone in my area. I carry one with me because my work has me downtown often and I watch the homeless move from place to place.

This drug has hit close to home for my family and me. My son lost his best friend due to that drug. We just recently buried him. He was to young and had his whole life in front of him. He was a 23 year old father of a two year old baby girl. Just hurts me to my soul. Sam, we love and miss you. 💔

I had a son on Heroin for 12 years..my daughter got addicted to prescribed Opioids ..thank God both stopped many years ago and are leading clean and sober productive lives !

We just lost our Son 2 days ago to a heroin overdose, but we aren’t sure yes. He battled drug (heroin) for 20 years. He was 42 when he passed. We live in MO, and have to go to Oregon to retrieve him. They ran an autopsy and tox report on him today, but we haven’t had the strength to call the coroner, or medical examiner. We are so heartbroken. My heart goes out to everyone portrayed in this video.

We lost our youngest son in July of this year due to this drug. They took his phone and went through it saying they’re going to find out who he got it off of. Not one person has been arrested!!! They have the names of them all but they just slap them in the wrist and said if they “talk “that they would not be charged for his death. They should have arrested every one of them and charged them with murder. They’re not trying very hard to get this shit off the streets.

Someone said it in these comment. We have lost the war on drug trafficking. Schools need to show documentaries like this and worse to show the effects. Parents need to go into rooms, check their phones, know their social media passwords, sit down with their kids friends and have a conversation also with the kids parents. Maybe even have kids speak with therapist a few times a year even if they dont display problems. Dont wait until it is a problem.

I was a Public Health Nurse at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic and this sounds like what we faced with teaching, handing out safe sex kits to the at risk populations. We were condemned for adding to the problem. The results we had on schools, the street ... We're positive in the long run. I do believe we made a huge difference. Today we don't hear about AIDS like we did then because people are more informed and the medications are so much better with less side effects. I know I saved lives. The Fentanyl issue sounds like another medical condition we need to be very open and vigilant about, not just on the streets, but in all counties. This problem is affecting La Jolla as much as National City. "My child would never" is BS. Ask any addict. I learned, in my long career, kids experiment and most Parents haven't a clue.

Isiah explained addiction exactly how it is.. It took me 9 months to get off options. 9 months of pure hell. Ever second seemed a minute every minute seemed like an hour every hour felt like a day. Now that I am over it I know I can go through anything else life throws at me...8 years sober.

Nice job on the ending of this production! I learned about drugs in high school in the 70s. We had addicts in recovery come in, we learned the biology of their effect on the body, etc. I knew then that certain things I would be weak about, so I was able to decide in advance not to pick up. Same with sex. I realized it was easy to be faced with an unwanted pregnancy, and I knew how to prevent that in advance. I understood the biology. My teachers did an excellent job, far better than my parents could, because the teachers were rational, impartial and thorough experts. Do kids have this kind of instruction now? On a completely different note, why does it take our legislators so loooooong to deal with problems. Years ago we should've been throwing dollars at this problem to absolutely stop it from coming into the country.

I survived a feyntanyl overdose last year and I can tell you it's the scariest thing I've ever experienced 😢

There's something seriously wrong with a society if 15 year olds need sleeping medication!

I have been clean for 5 years I will never go back

You did great coverage on this. Both sad and interesting. Thankyou🙏

This was a really informative video! Such a scary epidemic happening at this time! May all who lost their lives rest in peace👃