A new effort is underway to reduce Sacramento’s drug overdose crisis.<\/p>\n
More than 1,400 people in Sacramento have died from fentanyl in the last five years.<\/p>\n
Local Christian rapper Exoduzmusic says he was inspired to write a song about fentanyl after seeing so many tragedies in his South Sacramento neighborhood.<\/p>\n
“I see addictions, I hear about overdoses all the time, I see people that are dying,” Exoduzmusic said.<\/p>\n
The performer is now shooting a music video in the neighborhood to help raise awareness about the dangers of the potentially deadly drug.<\/p>\n
“A lot of times in hip hop, a lot of people are glorifying the drugs and glorifying that lifestyle, so I just want to do something different and show them, ‘look, there’s a different side to rap,’ ” Exoduzmusic said.<\/p>\n
Alyssa White is among those participating in the video performance. She says one of her family members died due to an overdose of the drug.<\/p>\n
“It’s really heartbreaking,” White said.<\/p>\n
Just this year, the Sacramento County coroner says 61 people died from fentanyl related overdoses, and last year, 253 people were killed.<\/p>\n
“I think that’s too many for Sac County,” White said. “I think we have a problem.”<\/p>\n
State Attorney General Rob Bonta says keeping fentanyl off the streets is a top priority.<\/p>\n
“Since 2022, the DOJ has seized more than 22 million fentanyl pills, more than 7,000 pounds of fentanyl powder,” Bonta said. “That’s enough to kill every Californian 40 times over.”<\/p>\n
Exoduzmusic is hoping his song will help prevent any more families from the sadness of losing a loved one to fentanyl.<\/p>\n
“If we start making noise, we start raising about this issue, then I feel like we can make a difference,” Exoduzmusic said.<\/p>\n
The state attorney general says more than 620 people have been arrested across California in connection with fentanyl sales and distribution in the last four years.<\/p>\n
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