In the face of a wave of deadly Fentanyl overdoses in Santa Clarita, KHTS sat down with Cary Quashen of Action Drug Rehab Center to discuss the real impact of this dangerous drug.
The conversation comes after a recent rise in THC and fentanyl overdoses in schools across the nation, with children in middle schools being hospitalized after reacting to THC gummies and people dying due to pills containing lethal amounts of fentanyl.
On Wednesday, Dec. 7, 35-year-old Brandon Shubunka, a Saugus resident died from an apparent fatal fentanyl overdose at his home.
Less than 24 hours before Shubunka’s death, five young adults overdosed on fentanyl at Bouquet Canyon Park, less than a quarter mile from the Newbird address. Three of those who were hospitalized were later arrested.
Social media posts from neighbors, coworkers and friends offering condolences to Shubunka’s family remember a man who loved his son dearly, but was haunted by substance abuse.
“Let’s remember, most everybody they’re really good people; they’re just making bad choices, and bad choices today are deadly choices,” Quashen said.
According to Quashen, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) now expects to see mass overdoses, or overdoses of three or more people in groups, largely due to the insidious inclusion of street fentanyl.
“Let’s get this straight right now; there is no such thing as a safe or good drug,” Quashen said. “Everything that contains fentanyl is bad… and everything on the street has fentanyl.”
While illegal fentanyl use has led to a massive rise in deaths across the nation, and is now the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 18 and 45 in the United States.
Fentanyl deaths in America doubled from 32,745 fatalities to 62,178 fatalities in the two-year period between April 2019 and April 2021, according to the DEA.
“It’s a terrible time for anyone who is using drugs today, it’s not ‘get sober’… six out of every 10 pills on the market that contain fentanyl contains a deadly amount,” Quashen said. “ It’s a deadly game with everyone right now.”
For information on addiction-management resources at Action Drug Rehab in Santa Clarita, as well as its Bakersfield and Ventura County locations, click here or call (661) 297-8693.
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It’s coming over the damn border every day. Say it! No local news station will even show the border. They talk about all these cases and never mention it coming over the border. Why do they only tell us what they want us to hear???
Well then, where did you learn about it coming over the border?
Fentanyl is on tv and news radio regularly, where the border is described as an entry-point for the drug.
Why is my comment under consideration? Give me a reason. Don’t tell me KHTS is now going to censor free speech. Hard to believe. Nothing I said is a lie.
I meant moderation!
People should get high on god not drugs