For three decades, a single-story house — the state’s first bilingual recovery program of its kind — that sits on a quiet street in the middle of Watsonville has helped men heal their addictions. Many have gone on to successful lives and careers; others couldn’t outrun their demons. But those who have dedicated their lives to creating a brotherhood of recovery at the Sí Se Puede residential treatment program realize they are making a significant difference for the Latino population of South County.
opioid crisis
Posted inEvents, Politics & Policy
‘They’re not trying to die’: How drug checking aims to protect users in a messy market
Overdoses claimed some 107,000 lives last year in the U.S. Public health advocates, researchers and activists want to help people find out what is in their drugs.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Spotlight on the new District 28: Assembly candidates weigh in on housing, climate, education and fentanyl
The candidates for the newly created State Assembly District 28, who spoke at a Lookout-moderated forum last week, elaborate on who they are, why they’re the right person for this position and the kind of focus they will put on key topics.
Posted inCoast Life
‘We’re here for you’: In wake of tragedy, Santa Cruz surfing community doubles down on generation next
There was a time in the not-so-distant past when a proudly miscreant tone and attitude dominated Santa Cruz surf culture. Some of those who survived that tough period, including big-wave champion Darryl “Flea” Virostko, are trying to pay it forward. Meanwhile, those assembled at Steamer Lane on Thursday afternoon mourned two recent deaths and tried to put them into perspective.
Posted inCoast Life
Quelling the ‘stigma of shame’: The county’s top doctor opens up about the pain of losing a child to fentanyl
If it can happen to Santa Cruz County Public Health Officer Gail Newel and her wife, Kelli, both longtime physicians, then it can happen to any family. If it can happen to the highest achievers in our society, like doctors and dentists and lawyers, then it can happen to anyone. Nyeland Newel was a 38-year-old dentist who picked up an opioid craving while at UC Santa Cruz. His addictive genes collided with America’s opioid crisis in tragic fashion.
Posted inCoast Life
Hungry for answers: Fentanyl town hall confirms a community plague and crying need for a better response
A crowd of 175 heard and talked with a panel of local experts about the fentanyl plague that is increasingly targeting young people in Santa Cruz County. The town hall offered a start at confronting numerous knotty issues that were raised in the recent Part 1 of Lookout’s “Poisoned” series.
Posted inEvents, Politics & Policy
As fentanyl’s painful death toll grows in Santa Cruz, taking young lives, it’s time for meaningful solutions
The stories of loss from mothers Sophie Veniel and Carrie Luther inform a much larger picture of fatal fentanyl overdoses. Lookout’s monthlong dive into the rise of fentanyl-related deaths locally finds a lack of cohesive attention paid to this post-pandemic epidemic, as local officials plan a Monday town hall to assess and troubleshoot new strategies. Our three-part series begins today.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
How drug overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 in one year
Sam Quinones, author of ‘The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth,’ on the horrific rise in overdose deaths.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Prosecutors want to charge fentanyl drug dealers with murder, sparking legal battle
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…
Posted inHealth & Wellness
New law signed at crucial time for Santa Cruz will stop CEQA lawsuits blocking needle exchange
Opponents of free needle programs in California are using environmental regulations to shut them down. On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will end that strategy.