CITY OF SAN PABLO
City Council
1000 Gateway Avenue ● San Pablo, CA 94806
Main: 510-215-3000 ● Fax: 510-215-3011
www.SanPabloCA.gov
April 27, 2023
E-TRANSMITTAL/U.S. REGULAR MAIL
The Honorable Reginald Jones-Sawyer
Chair, Assembly Public Safety Committee
1020 N Street, Room 111
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: CITY OF SAN PABLO SUPPORT OF FENTANYL AND SUBSTANCE USE
RELATED STATE LEGISLATION
Dear Assembly Member Jones-Sawyer,
On behalf of San Pablo City Council, I am encouraged that the Assembly Public Safety Committee will be considering a slate of bills tha t could help save countless lives throughout our state.
The City of San Pablo strongly supports several critically needed fentanyl and substance use-related pieces of legislation. These measures would stem the tide of illicit substance - related deaths in California and bring relief to the many communities mourning tragic, preventable deaths.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 71,000 people died from synthetic opioid-related overdose in the United States in 2021, of which, 7,000 deaths occurred in California. In other words, 1 out of every 10 deaths from synthetic opioids in the United States occurs in California. The increase of drug -related overdose deaths is largely being driven by the increase in synthetic opioid-related deaths, primarily fentanyl.
Local communities experience the realities of the opioid epidemic every day through the increasing toll on families, first responders, educators, child welfare agencies, public safety officials, health professionals, and community organizations, among others. As committed partners in finding solutions to address the growing substance use crisis in our state, the City of San Pablo supports the following measures:
Assembly Public Safety Special Hearing on Fentanyl:
• AB 33 (Bains) Fentanyl Addiction and Overdose Prevention Task Force. • AB 367 (Maienschein) Controlled Substances: Enhancements. • AB 474 (Rodriguez) State Threat Assessment Center: Transnational Criminal Organizations.
• AB 955 (Petrie-Norris) Controlled Substances
Honorable U.S. Senators Feinstein and Padilla
RE: CITY OF SAN PABLO SUPPORT OF FENTANYL AND SUBSTANCE USE RELATED STATE
LEGISLATION
April 27, 2023
Impacts on San Pablo
Unfortunately, San Pablo has experienced a concerning trend of incidents related to Fentanyl use in our community:
• A total of 105 documented cases related to fentanyl since the beginning of 2022 • A total 5 confirmed deaths related to Fentanyl overdose since the beginning of 2022 • A total 5 Narcan deployments from PD officers resulting in resuscitation of an individual believed to have overdosed on Fentanyl
Additionally, three (3) San Pablo Police staff members were hospitalized after exposure to substances believed to have been Fentanyl related.
Subsequently, our City welcomes additional State legislation which provides stronger regulations on addressing the state -wide Fentanyl epidemic plaquing our community in the following areas, including but not limited to, the following:
• Stronger penalties toward criminal enterprises that continue to profit from this epidemic which impacts countless lives in our community; and
• Additional resources for Fentanyl substance use crisis through appropriate prevention and intervention efforts,
• Additional need for Fentanyl educational awareness campaigns, and • Additional increased access to life -saving Fentanyl overdose treatment aids, such as Naloxone for law enforcement and emergency workers.
Now, more than ever, is the time to take action on measures that will preserve human life and improve the safety and well-being of all Californians.
For these reasons, the City of San Pablo pledges our STRONG SUPPORT on these Fentanyl related legislative measures.
Sincerely,
for Abel Pineda, Mayor
City of San Pablo
ccs: Members, Assembly Public Safety Committee
State Assembly Member Buffy Wicks (D-14)
State Senator Nancy Skinner (D-9)
Sam Caygill, East Bay Division, Cal Cities, [email protected] League of California Cities, [email protected]
San Pablo City Council
City Manager
City Attorney
Police Chief