Fentanyl deaths in Los Angeles county rose 1,280% from 2016 to 2021 – report

Last year's death toll also marks a 31% increase from 2020 in LA's epidemic that mirrors disturbing trends across the country

Fentanyl deaths and hospitalizations have surged in Los Angeles county, with a 1,280% increase in fatalities from 2016 to 2021, according to a new report on the public health crisis.

The LA county public health department released data on Tuesday revealing that 1,504 people suffered fatal fentanyl overdoses in 2021, nearly 14 times as many deaths as in 2016 when 109 people died. Last year's death toll also marks a 31% increase from 2020. From 2016 to 2020, there was also a 308% increase in emergency department visits for fentanyl, from 133 cases to 542 cases.