Drug Test - Vacaville, CA

Vacaville, California - Drug Testing

Life and People in Vacaville

After losing her 18-year-old son to a fatal fentanyl overdose, Brenda Steed has a message for other parents in her community — drugs like this aren't just in big cities, they're right in your home community, and it's critical to educate your children about the dangers. Kaydan Ross was a senior in high school when he took a counterfeit pill that he believed was either oxycodone or Percocet. After being rushed to the hospital and treated for several days, the youth was still brain-dead and did not recover.

While Vacaville may be a quiet community, it's not immune to the dangers of illegal drugs. In 2020, there were 39 opioid-related overdose deaths in Solano County, a 105% increase from 2018. In 2021, there were 37 overdose deaths in the county attributed to fentanyl alone, and between January and April 2022, 13 deaths had already been attributed to fentanyl use.

Community Efforts to Address Drug Problems in Vacaville

In an effort to reduce the number of fentanyl overdoses in Vacaville and the surrounding area, Solano County has expanded its opioid prevention campaign, dubbed "Fentanyl Kills." This program is administered in conjunction with local school districts, the Solano County Sheriff's Office, the county Office of Education, local police departments, and other community leaders.

The purpose of the campaign is to educate local youth and their parents regarding the dangers of the synthetic drug fentanyl. According to the organization, one in four counterfeit pills contains fentanyl and it takes just 2 mg of the drug — the equivalent of about four grains of sand — to kill a person. The new phase of the program includes a new interactive website; print, digital, and transit advertising; and the distribution of fact sheets, postcards, and bookmarks.

Substance Abuse Trends and Statistics for California

According to the 2022 California Health Care Almanac, approximately 2.9 million California residents (9% of the population) reported having a substance abuse disorder (SUD) in the past year, and close to 4% were dependent on illicit drugs. Adults aged 18 to 25 were nearly twice as likely as older adults to have a substance abuse disorder. While the healthcare system has made strides in acknowledging and treating SUD, only about 10% of people with SUD received treatment in the past year.

Last updated 12/16/2022