Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell | Maricopa County
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell | Maricopa County
Records from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) show continued increases every year since 2020 in submissions for prosecution regarding fentanyl.
The MCAO began tracking the number of fentanyl cases submitted to their office in the second half of 2020, and since then has seen increases each calendar year, starting with just 953 recorded in 2020, to 7877 in 2023, a 20% increase from 2022.
The MCAO reported approximately 2,214 fentanyl cases through April of 2024, putting them on track to surpass the 2023 number of cases by the end of the calendar year.
“MCAO will continue to lead the fight against fentanyl by prosecuting high level distributors, educating the community, and helping to distribute lifesaving Narcan,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a release. “Fentanyl is very cheap, extremely addictive, and it’s tearing families and communities apart.”
“Teens today are buying pills they don’t know are fake and that contain lethal doses of this poison,” Mitchell said. “If one conversation can save a life, it’s all worth doing. So please, stay informed and spread the word.”
While fentanyl cases in the MCAO used to be regarded as significant if they revealed 1,000 pills containing fentanyl, the office now regularly deals with cases involving millions of pills at a time.
Maricopa County has seen a 5000% increase in fentanyl related deaths since 2015, according to their fentanyl information center. They have also seen the overdose deaths in teens double since 2019.
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How many fentanyl related cases were reported in Maricopa County?
| # of Cases Submitted to MCAO |
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