Breakfast Meeting – November 12, 2024

The Risk of Fentanyl and Opioid Use

Kelly McKay, Public Affairs Specialist, DEA
Shastity Urias, Community Outreach Specialist, DEA
William Perno, Sr. Prevention Specialist, Social Advocates for Youth SD

At our November breakfast meeting, Kelly McKay and Shastity Urias from the DEA and William Perno from SAY will speak to us about the dangers of fentanyl and opioid use.  Attendees will learn about the risks of fentanyl, how to recognize an opioid overdose, and how to use Naloxone (Narcan) to attempt to reverse an overdose.  People attending the meeting will receive FREE Naloxone/Narcan Nasal Spray ($45.00 Value).  The opioid epidemic has resulted in record overdose deaths across the United States.  Fentanyl can be found in any illicit street drug, including counterfeit prescription pills/tablets, powders, liquids & vapes, blotter paper, and sprays.  San Diego County Fentanyl-related deaths increased from 22 deaths in 2015 to 815 deaths in 2022, a 3,750% increase.  Teens as young as 13 years old have died from fentanyl poisonings in San Diego County.  Join us to learn more about the opioid epidemic.  What you learn could save a life!

Kelly McKay is the Public Affairs Specialist for the DEA’s San Diego Field Division.  After years of working in the San Diego biotech industry she completed her Master’s Degree in Public Health at San Diego State University.  Upon graduation, she worked for a San Diego based community health coalition as a Prevention Specialist where she worked on numerous policy issues, vaping, and drug prevention.  At the DEA she coordinates outreach and prevention events, Red Ribbon Week, and Overdose Awareness Day.  She is passionate about keeping the community safe and informed.

Shastity Urias is the Community Outreach Specialist for the Drug Enforcement Administration, San Diego Field Division.  As a Community Outreach Specialist, Shastity supports initiatives to reduce the demand for drugs and other drug prevention initiatives.  As part of her role she develops and disseminates effective drug information for youth, parents, caregivers, and educators to increase the community’s awareness about the dangers associated with drug use.  Shastity works very closely with organizations, schools, and other law enforcement partners to increase community awareness of current drug trends.   Prior to coming to DEA Shastity was with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for 14 years where she helped develop and implement targeted strategies to educate the community and reduce crime.  Through her work, Shastity is the recipient of the Attorney General Award and the Director’s Award, two of the highest awards in the U.S. Department of Justice.

William Perno is a Senior Prevention Specialist with Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) San Diego and their Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (ATOD) Prevention Program.  He is also a retired San Diego County Deputy Sheriff.  William is a subject matter expert for synthetic drugs including Synthetic Cannabinoids “Spice”, Synthetic Stimulants “Bath Salts”, Synthetic Opioids, Fentanyl and Fentanyl analogs, and other emerging drug trends.  He was instrumental in the passage of California State laws banning synthetic drugs and has worked with local governments to create city and county ordinances.

Advance registration closes at 12:00 noon on Friday, November 8th.  Our meeting formally begins at 7:30 am.  Check-in opens at 7:00am – be sure to get there early to grab some breakfast, get situated, and have a chance to say hi to people before the meeting kicks off!