New Law Requires California High School Students to Learn Dangers of Fentanyl

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill mandating that public and charter school students learn about the dangers of fentanyl as the drug continues to cause thousands of overdose deaths in the state. Existing law requires high school instruction in sexual harassment and violence for grades 9–12. The new legislation, Assembly Bill 2429, would amend the state’s education code to require fentanyl education, taught through existing health courses, as a prerequisite for high school graduation beginning with the 2026–27 school year. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the California Department of Public Health. There were more than 6,000 fentanyl-related deaths in the state in 2021, the most recent data available....