As high schoolers head back to school this month, a new curriculum warning of the dangers of fentanyl will be on the syllabus at multiple school districts throughout Riverside County.
“The Fentanyl Awareness Curriculum is a first-of-its-kind tool to help schools and communities address the growing dangers of fentanyl with local information, making it particularly impactful,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez. “The partnerships that developed this curriculum are an example of the power of collaboration to drive positive change in our region and state.”
In 2022, the County of Riverside created an award-winning public awareness campaign to address the fentanyl epidemic, known as “Faces of Fentanyl.” This effort integrates knowledge and resources from county public safety and healthcare agencies. The Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) recently joined the effort, using resources from various county agencies to bring the new curriculum into health classes.
Based on local data and developed with input from local public health and law enforcement experts, the curriculum’s advantage is that it takes a local approach to tackle the fatal drug.
Since the “Faces of Fentanyl” campaign launched in 2022, fentanyl deaths in Riverside County dropped by approximately 54%, from a peak of 545 deaths during March 2023–February 2024 to 251 deaths during March 2025–February 2026.
“The County’s efforts to fight fentanyl on all fronts have made a difference in the community,” said Board Chair and Second District Supervisor Karen Spiegel. “Deaths have been declining at a rapid pace, but we are not done. This new school curriculum is one more lever that focuses on prevention.”
The “Faces of Fentanyl” curriculum was piloted in May of 2025 in three Riverside County schools. By the fall of 2025, it was made available to all school districts in Riverside County, approximately a year and a half before a new state law requiring fentanyl awareness teachings to be included during mandatory health classes. The curriculum is provided at no cost to any district that has requested it since its launch.
In addition, since the materials were added online, there have been nearly 50 unique downloads, showing the demand among the community for local information. In addition, the new statewide mandate has school districts outside of Riverside County seeking access to the RCOE materials, including districts in Los Angeles County and Ventura County.
“Riverside County refuses to sit back while fentanyl kills our young people,” said District Attorney Mike Hestrin. “We were the first county in the state to prosecute drug dealers for these poisoning deaths, and now we’re the first to put a fentanyl awareness curriculum directly in front of our students. Prevention and prosecution go hand in hand. We will keep educating our kids to make safe choices, and we will keep holding accountable those who put poison on our streets. Even one preventable death is one too many, and this office will not stop fighting until fentanyl no longer threatens the young people of Riverside County.”
As Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day approaches on Friday, parents who wish to get a head start on “Faces of Fentanyl” lessons now may download all materials from the RCOE website.
“Parents and grandparents are children’s first teachers,” said Third District Supervisor Chuck Washington. “This Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, talk to your children and grandchildren about the dangers of fentanyl. It could save their life, or a life of someone they know.”