https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/10/05/phantom-fentanyl-deaths-skyrocket-in-southern-california/ > The good news, if there is any, is that opioid prescriptions and drug-related emergency room visits have declined in California since 2014. > The not-so-good news — and there’s plenty — is that fentanyl-related deaths have skyrocketed over the past five years, especially in Los Angeles County, which far outpaces the state average.