Share
“Meth has taken control of a large swath of Fresno County,” CNN reported Tuesday.
“There were more meth overdose deaths in Fresno County in 2020 than those of any other kind of drug, according to the coroner’s unit.”
CNN reporter Kyung Lah went on a graveyard shift ride-along with Sheriff’s Deputy Todd Burk for an inside look at what it’s like to patrol Fresno County with methamphetamine readily available and devastating lives.
“Methamphetamine is destroying the community. It’s fueling nothing but crimes,” Burk said.
Drug Overdoses Climb Sharply in 2020
According to the coroner’s office, there were 184 single-drug overdoses last year — 121 of them from meth — in Fresno County.
Methamphetamine also contributed to nearly half of the 56 overdose deaths from combinations of drugs.
In total, the county had 254 drug overdoses in 2020 after seeing less than half that number in 2018 and 164 in 2019.
Meth use and overdoses have surged throughout the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to CNN.
Read more from CNN at this link.
Watch: CNN Rides Along With Deputy in Fresno’s ‘Meth Hell’
RELATED TOPICS:
Will Gov. Newsom Call a Special Session to Deal With Gas Prices?
2 hours ago
Bettors Banking on Eagles Resurgence, Cowboys Regression as NFL Season Begins
13 hours ago
Abandoned Poodle Mix Adam Survives the Wild and Seeks a Forever Home
14 hours ago
Top Brazilian Judge Orders Suspension of X Platform in Brazil Amid Feud With Musk
1 day ago
How a Real Estate Boom Drove Political Corruption in Los Angeles
1 day ago
![Police officers secure the area and investigate the scene of a shooting at Union Square in San Francisco, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/31184052/piersall-shooting-1024x683.jpg)
49ers Rookie WR Ricky Pearsall Shot in Attempted Union Square Robbery
![Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at an event in anticipation of signing a bill on his proposed oil profit penalty plan in Sacramento on March 28, 2023. (CalMatters/ Miguel Gutierrez Jr.)](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/31175839/newsom-big-oil.webp)
Will Gov. Newsom Call a Special Session to Deal With Gas Prices?
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/16183042/Eagles-vs-49ers.jpg)
Bettors Banking on Eagles Resurgence, Cowboys Regression as NFL Season Begins
![A black poodle's face with his tongue sticking out](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29135336/Rescued-from-an-abandoned-home-after-weeks-of-fending-for-himself-Adam-a-shy-but-sweet-poodle-mix-is-now-seeking-a-loving-forever-home.-Mells-Mutts-1024x538.jpg)
Abandoned Poodle Mix Adam Survives the Wild and Seeks a Forever Home
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/28091346/082824-Lede-1024x576.jpg)