Efforts to prevent fentanyl overdose deaths
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Tuesday, April 9th.
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What’s being done to prevent fentanyl overdose deaths. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….
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California would have a "homeowner's assistance for descendants of enslaved persons" program under a bill in the state legislature.
Senate Bill 10-oh-7 provides mortgage loans and down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers, as well as financing and programs for affordable rental housing.
Gardena Democratic Senator Steven Bradford is the author.
"SB 1007 is about starting a long process of paying back a debt that's not only owed, that is promised and 160 years overdue to African Americans. It is the first step in closing a wealth and equity gap created by centuries of slavery and racial discriminatory policies."
The bill heads next to the senate appropriations committee.
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The city of Del Mar has been looking at the Del Mar Fairgrounds as a potential site for affordable housing.
Today (Tuesday), they’re taking the matter to the county board of supervisors.
Dave Druker is Del Mar’s mayor.
“Affordable housing is important in all communities. And Del Mar is no exception.”
The supervisors will consider a resolution to support affordable housing on the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
If passed, it will speed up the planning process.
It'll take two years to find out where and how many units can be built on site.
Officials estimate a minimum of 61 units will be built by 20-30.
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The average price of regular gas in the county has been rising for three weeks.
It’s now, nearly 5-dollars-and-30-cents a gallon.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the reason for the rise in gas prices is because of the transition from winter-blend gas to the state’s summer blend, that is less polluting, but more expensive.
Gas prices haven’t been this high, since November.
Prices were 37-cents per gallon cheaper, this time last year.
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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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California Attorney General Rob Bonta visited San Diego yesterday (Monday) to talk about regional efforts to combat fentanyl overdoses.
Reporter Gustavo Solis says Bonta addressed a major misconception about drug smuggling.
It’s an old narrative that keeps gaining power … illegal immigration is the driving force behind drug smuggling. Migrants crossing in remote parts of the southern border bring drugs like fentanyl into the country. California Attorney General Rob Bonta says that is not the case.“Most of the trafficking and the buyers of fentanyl are American citizens. When you want to talk about immigration – California, America is a state and a nation of immigrants.” Bonta made these comments during a visit to the San Diego border region to highlight regional efforts to combat fentanyl overdose deaths. He was joined by San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephen. Stephan called for tougher penalties for drug dealers whose product ends up causing an overdose ... and for more preventative measures. Summer Stephen, San Diego District Attorney “And we need to continue to invest in prevention and also in protection by having more Narcan available to save lives.” Mirroring a nationwide trend, fentanyl overdose deaths In San Diego skyrocketed from 154 in 2019 to 814 in 2021. Since then, overdose deaths have remained around 800 annually. Gustavo Solis, KPBS News.
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The county ranked in the top 10 of U-S counties with the most people living with Alzheimer's disease.
That’s according to the Alzheimer's Association.
The disease is the third highest cause of death for adults over 80 in the county.
While new drugs offer hope, health reporter Heidi De Marco tells us that their benefits may not be widely accessible for all.
“My dad, ricardo, was from guadalajara, mexico. he immigrated here when he was about 18. my mom virgina, her dad was from zacatecas, mexico.” patricia hernandez has been tirelessly caring for her parent’s for nearly two decades, a journey that has taken a toll emotionally. patricia hernandez caregiver, clairemont resident “so having two parents diagnosed with dementia is devastating. the family had no history of alzheimer's. patricia initially thought her mother's symptoms were a natural part of aging. hernandez i knew she was losing her memory, but i didn’t know that eventually i’d find out it was an official diagnosis for dementia. about five years later, my dad’s diagnosis came. her father died in 2021 from alzheimer's complications. my dad, his alzheimer’s progressed faster than my mom’s. and so she’s digressed in her abilities very slowly. “the number of people living with alzheimer’s and related dementias in san diego county is set to surpass 115,000 in the next six years. new drugs showing promise in slowing its progression offer hope. but will those most at risk have fair access to this new medication?” “awe, ya momma…” this afternoon, patricia and virginia flip through an old musical photo album.and look, your two sons..those are my two sons? what happened to them? by the time patricia’s parents were diagnosed they were too far along to be eligible for leqembi. the drug, approved by the fda last year, was designed and intended to treat early-stage alzheimer’s. “ i’m very happy for the people that would benefit from that. it’s bittersweet because my parents wouldn’t benefit from it. ” latinos and blacks tend to be diagnosed at later stages, automatically excluding them from the use of leqembi. patricia is concerned about accessibility and affordability of the medication, especially for latinos, who are 1.5 times more likely to develop alzheimer’s than whites. conditions like heart disease and diabetes, which are more prevalent among black and latino populations, are known risk factors. but cost is also a barrier. “ i don’t think my family would of had access to that amount of funds to get that medication.” leqembi is priced at $26,500 a year. even though medicare is picking up the majority of the bill, many patients will still have to pay more than $5,000 annually in out-of-pocket costs. that’s still a significant expense, especially for blacks and latinos in san diego. as many as 37% are reported to live on incomes of about $28,000 a year or less. hector gonzález is a professor of neurosciences at ucsd. he’s leading the nation’s largest study on latino brain aging. he says access to care is also a barrier. gonzalez we need to look at our health care systems. and say, are we serving those communities? are we doing the education to let people know this may help you, or not. and gonzález says there’s another cost to leqembi. hg: what we see amongst latinos, the vascular type of dementia, seems to be most prevalent. black patients too. gonzález says the drug won’t be as effective in patients with vascular dementia. patricia isn't sure if her parents were diagnosed with that type, but she would have appreciated having more time to spend with them. hernandez i certainly would have tried everything to find the money even to the point where it may have bankrupt us to get that medication because it’s hope. everyone should have access to hope. hd: patricia’s voice catches. these days virginia continues to have some mobility. most afternoons you’ll find her on the porch, dancing in her chair wearing red cat eye sunglasses and lipstick to match. ph: one of the main things i always loved about my mom is her sense of humor and that she’s always happy and always loved music. patricia uses music to keep her mom motivated and active and to hold on to something she always loved. today, she taps along to perry como’s ‘catch a falling star.’ ph: i’m so blessed that during her progression with alzheimer’s that hasn’t been lost. heidi de marco kpbs news.
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Henry Foster the third took the oath of office yesterday (Monday), to become San Diego's new District 4 councilmember.
He represents southeast neighborhoods stretching from Oak Park to Paradise Hills.
Reporter Katie Hyson attended the first city council meeting this year with nine members.
I, Henry L. Foster III, do solemnly swear . . . When Monica Montgomery Steppe took the county supervisor seat in December, it left city council District 4 without representation. Then, a January storm overwhelmed their drainage system and flooded neighborhoods. Foster says the flood highlights the city’s history of underinvestment in the district. Generations have passed without adequate investment in their infrastructure, economic opportunities, and quality of life . . . And we will change that practice. I promise that. The council is currently deciding the city budget for next year, with a final vote in June. Katie Hyson, KPBS News.
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Did you see it?
The total solar eclipse that shadowed a swath of North America, gave us a partial showing here in the county.
Education reporter M.G. Perez saw it with hundreds of other spectators in Balboa Park.
5-and-a-half-year-old Maxwell Kagan watched the partial solar eclipse with his grandmother outside the Fleet Science Center. “It looks like the moon is passing the sun.” The Fleet provided experts to answer questions…as well as special filtered glasses to view the eclipse…depending on where you were in the county…you could see 60-to-65 percent of the moon covering the sun at its most intense. Dennis Ammann is an amateur with the San Diego Astronomy Association at the Fleet viewing party who wished he could see the eclipse in totality… for a glimpse of the corona… “You can see it…just fingers coming out of the sun…and then you’re seeing along the moon’s shadow which is 60 miles wide.” The next total solar eclipse seen over the contiguous U-S will happen in 20-44. MGP KPBS News.
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Join us again tomorrow for the day’s top stories. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great Tuesday.
