Fentanyl now deadliest drug in LA County, linked to more than half of all fatal overdoses

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Fentanyl has now become the deadliest street drug in Los Angeles County, surpassing methamphetamine to be associated with the most deaths, according to a report from Los Angeles County.

Fentanyl in 2022 accounted for 59% of all overdose deaths involving drugs or alcohol, the county report says.

And the drug's deadly rise was rapid. The number of accidental fentanyl overdose deaths skyrocketed by a stunning 1,652% over just a handful of years, growing from 109 in 2016 to 1,910 in 2022.

The rate of death is higher among men and among adults aged 26-39 years. The report also presented racial and ethnic breakdowns of fentanyl deaths, finding that while the white population suffered the most total deaths overall, Black residents experienced the highest per capita rate, with 49.5 deaths per 100,000 population.

More details are available from the LA County fentanyl report here.