The Humboldt County Drug Task Force reports today that the county has seen 33 fentanyl-related overdose deaths to date this year, more than double the number in all of 2020, which stood at 11. In a news release, which emphasizes that individuals who sell the powerful opioid can be charged with murder, the drug task […]
opioid
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Yurok Tribal Council Unanimously Rejects Proposed Purdue Pharma Opioid Settlement
The Yurok Tribal Council voted unanimously last week to oppose the proposed bankruptcy settlement agreement and restructuring plan for OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma, saying it amounts to a “sweetheart settlement” for the billionaire Sackler family, which owns the pharmaceutical giant. “There is no justice in this settlement,” Tribal Chair Joseph James said in a press […]
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Largest Fentanyl Bust in HCDTF History
The Humboldt County Drug Task Force seized 4 ounces of fentanyl, the largest seizure amount in HCDTF history, earlier this morning after serving a search warrant on a vehicle belonging to Roscoe Reidel of Eureka. According to the release, HCDTF had been investigating Reidel since December for allegedly transporting large quantities of fentanyl from San […]
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Third Wave
In 2013, what’s become known as the third wave of the national opioid epidemic began to wash over the United States. But fueled by the opioid fentanyl, for years it didn’t hit Humboldt County, leaving residents and officials to read about its devastating impacts elsewhere as it came to dominate national overdose rates. Then in […]
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Eureka, County Are Parties in Opioid Settlement Agreement
Eureka and Humboldt County are parties to the tentative multi-billion-dollar settlement reached this week in a landmark lawsuit brought by thousands of municipal governments and more than two dozen states against Purdue Pharma, the company that created OxyContin. The settlement — which still needs to be ratified by plaintiffs and approved by the judge — […]
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As Heroin Addiction Increases, Humboldt Sees a Surge in Drug Seizures
Just three drug busts between August and November — including one of the largest in recent history — helped push the amount of heroin seized by the Humboldt County Drug Task Force in 2018 into the record books. Over the course of last year, the multi-agency investigative team recovered nearly 35 pounds of the drug […]
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Bass Announces $4.8 Million Federal Grant, Ramped Up Needle Disposal Efforts at Packed Opioid Town Hall
Speaking before a Sequoia Conference Center packed with more than 250 people for Tuesday night’s opioid town hall meeting hosted by state Sen. Mike McGuire, Humboldt County Supervisor Virginia Bass announced the county has received a $4.8 million federal grant to create a new local opioid help center. The meeting saw presentations from a handful […]
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Sessions Fights to Fight Legal Weed
Lost in all the reports of his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee was news that last month U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions asked Congress to give him broad authority to crack down on medical marijuana cultivators and distributors acting in accordance with state laws. On May 1, Sessions penned a letter to congressional leaders […]
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Sessions: Marijuana Only ‘Slightly Less Awful’ than Heroin
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions tossed some more shade on marijuana this week, adding to growing concerns that a federal crackdown is looming for the $7 billion industry. Speaking about efforts to combat violent crime and “restore public safety” before a group of state and local law enforcement in Richmond, Virginia, Sessions spoke about the […]