Fresno County, city leaders educate high school students on fentanyl awareness

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Monday morning, Bullard High School students heard first-hand from Fresno County and city leaders about the dangers of fentanyl.

Through education and hearing from recovering addicts in their community, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni and Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto aim to make a positive impact on at least one student at Bullard High.

“Really just that there’s hope that, you know, if they’re chasing some high, life has so much more to offer. The fentanyl is not the answer. If you’re looking to feel something, that’s not it,” Casto said. 

Students from Bullard High’s Law and Justice Pathway Program, who helped organize the presentation and aspire to pursue law, understand the importance of events like this and hope their peers do too. 

“It not only affects the person taking in the drugs and like how much they’re being impacted by it, but their families and the people around them, and how much drugs are lethal. But not only that, but peer pressure as well is also a drug that we don’t really have a cure for,” 11^th grader Azzariah Holly said. 

“This isn’t something that’s funny, you know, it’s really something that people need to understand,” 11^th grader Sydney Shepherd said.

Zanoni shared a chilling reminder of how many people fentanyl has killed in Fresno County. In 2022, 120 people. In 2023, 110 people and in 2024, 80 people.

“The individuals that die from fentanyl overdoses don’t look like crackheads, don’t look like pranksters, because one pill can kill,” Zanoni said.

“And if you OD and you’re lucky enough not to die, there’s a very good chance that your lungs aren’t going to work or your brain is damaged,” Smittcamp said. 

They explained how this opioid is being laced in other drugs, so teens don’t even know that they’re taking it until it’s too late.

“These drug dealers don’t care about you; all they’re in it is to make money,” Zanoni said. 

Tuesday night, Smittcamp will hold a county-wide presentation at Bullard High’s Theater at 6 p.m. and again at 7:15 p.m.