SACRAMENTO, CA — As high schoolers head back to class this month, a new curriculum warning of the dangers of fentanyl is on the syllabus at campuses across California.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2429 into law in July 2024, mandating that California school districts, charter schools and private schools with existing health classes teach high school students about the risks associated with fentanyl. The courses are mandatory for graduation and must be introduced no later than the 2026-27 academic year.
Assemblymember David Alvarez, D-San Diego, authored the legislation, saying the goal is to dispel misinformation and encourage informed decision-making among students.
"AB 2429 underscores the importance of education in combating this crisis and ensures our youth are prepared to protect themselves and their communities," Alvarez said.
The curriculum framework includes an explanation of the differences between synthetic opioids, non-synthetic opioids and illicit drugs; variations of fentanyl; the differences between the legal and illegal uses of fentanyl; the risks of using fentanyl, including lethal overdose; how often fentanyl is put into illegal drugs without a user's knowledge; an explanation of what fentanyl does to the human body and the severity of the drug's addictive properties; how the use of fentanyl can lead to hypoxia; fentanyl "lacing"; how to detect fentanyl; and how to potentially save a person from an overdose.
The California Department of Public Health reported 4,770 statewide deaths related to fentanyl overdoses in 2024. Preliminary data from the agency shows 3,249 statewide fentanyl-associated deaths from January 2025 through September 2025.
The overall figures show a downward trend. In 2023, there were 7,137 fentanyl-related deaths across the state, according to state health figures.
The drop parallels a national trend. Researchers from the University of California San Diego found that U.S. overdose death rates declined dramatically between 2023 and 2024, marking the first recorded decline in the nation's overdose crisis. The dip was largely driven by a decrease in deaths involving illicit fentanyl, according to researchers.
Officials attribute the drop to a combination of factors, including supply disruptions, local community education efforts, widespread availability of the overdose-reversal drug naloxone, and behavioral changes among drug users, such as using test strips to check illicit substances for fentanyl.
While the new law's supporters acknowledge that educating teens has come too late for families who have lost children to the drug, advocates believe the mandatory curriculum is a vital preventive measure.
"Educating young people and students on the dangers of fentanyl is a critical harm-prevention strategy and will help students be able to recognize fentanyl and assist in an emergency," said Nora Vargas, chairwoman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. "There is no one-size solution to this crisis, but providing education about the dangers of fentanyl is a good first step."
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