�鶹Ů��

County by county in California, as fentanyl overdoses escalate, local prosecutors are turning to a novel legal strategy to stem the spiraling death toll: charging drug dealers with murder. In July, Placer County reached a landmark plea deal that sent a man to prison for 15 years-to-life on charges of second-degree murder after he provided a Roseville teenager with a fentanyl-contaminated pill that proved lethal. (Wiley, 2/26)

For years, state and local health officials have watched in dismay as drug overdoses spiraled ever higher. Now they could gain a new tool to track the extent of the crisis. If proposed legislation from Assembly Member Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, is successful, California could become the first state to mandate routine testing of wastewater treatment plants statewide for fentanyl, methamphetamine and other drugs. (Ho, 2/26)

Maria Mercado’s 5- and 7-year-old daughters haven’t been to the doctor for a check-up in two years. And it’s not for lack of trying. Mercado, a factory worker in South Los Angeles, has called the pediatrician’s office over and over hoping to book an appointment for a well-child visit, only to be told there are no appointments available and to call back in a month. Sometimes, she waits on hold for an hour. Like more than half of children in California, Mercado’s daughters have Medi-Cal, the state’s health insurance program for low-income residents. (Gold, 2/26)

Free and confidential in-home test kits to detect sexually transmitted infections are now available for San Mateo County residents, the county announced Monday. Home kits available for residents to use include tests for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and Hepatitis C. Dr. Vivian Levi, County Health’s STI (sexually transmitted infection) control officer said in a statement that getting tested for infections is “essential to maintaining good health overall.” (Macasero, 2/26)