Cary Quashen, the founder and CEO of Action Family Counseling, is set to appear on an ABC7 Eyewitness News special on a highly dangerous opioid called fentanyl on Monday, Aug. 22 at 11 p.m.

Fifty times stronger than heroin, fentanyl is being used in drugs like heroin and “bootleg” versions of Oxycodone, Xanax and similar pills to increase the user’s high, according to Quashen.

Action Family Counseling Founder, CEO Cary Quashen

“When people are dealing with heroin or any of those kinds of drugs where they have to cut it, they’re putting all kinds of different stuff in it and what they really want to do is get it strong so people get high,” he said. “The other problem is … they’re actually coming out with bootleg pills — Oxycodone, Xanax, stuff like that — but they’re really bootlegs, they’re being made at home, and there’s even fentanyl in that, so it’s really now a dangerous situation.”

Dealers sometimes don’t even know their product contains fentanyl, according to Quashen, who noted that often all they know is that it’s very strong and their customers should be careful.

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“The scary part of fentanyl is you never know what this heroin that you’re using is cut with, and sometimes even the dealers don’t know they’re getting,” he said.

While a common response from users at this is, “‘Oh, it’s strong– great! I’ll just use less,’” Quashen continued, “If you use just a tiny bit too much, you’re dead, so it’s really Russian Roulette right now.”

During the Eyewitness News special, Quashen will be featured as an expert alongside officials from the Los Angeles Police Department and other agencies and organizations. In addition, youth in recovery who sought treatment from Action Family Counseling are also set to appear.

Another ABC7 Eyewitness News special on heroin features Quashen as an expert, and is set to air later this week.

“It’s so dangerous right now, where every 19 minutes somebody is dying in our country from an accidental drug overdose,” Quashen said. “The whole reason for me doing all this is, I wanna beat that 19 minutes up. I don’t want to bury kids every 19 minutes. I don’t want people dying. So the more we’re out there, the better.”

Quashen continued, “It’s like I’m saying on TV tonight, it’s Russian Roulette. If you’re playing with heroin and these opiates today, it’s Russian Roulette. It’s not ‘if,’ it’s ‘when.’”

Action Family Counseling is a Santa Clarita drug and alcohol rehab center. Action Family Counseling has drug and alcohol residential treatment locations in Santa Clarita, Piru and Bakersfield, as well as intensive drug and alcohol outpatient programs in Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Ventura, Pasadena and Bakersfield. Action Family Counseling supports and reinforces changes in behavior patterns so that adolescents and adults, or clients and their families, can fully indoctrinate the philosophies and principles needed to remain abstinent and stabilized for life.

Action Family Counseling

22722 Soledad Canyon Road

Santa Clarita, CA 91350

Office: 661-297-8691

24-Hour Helpline: 800-367-8336