An in-depth series exploring the people, impact, and realities behind the epidemic  

The documentary delves into the devastating impact of drug use on families and the community, hearing directly from parents who have lost children to this deadly drug. Viewers will also hear from local law enforcement, first responders, city officials, and other community members who will provide insights into how fentanyl use has become entrenched in society. The documentary will explore current efforts to combat its impact and discuss potential measures to protect citizens in the future. Executive Producer: John Kennedy O'Connor Producer: Anisa Williams Reporter: Anisa Williams Editor: Aaron Taylor Graphics: Aaryn Synder KIMA sincerely thanks all the individuals who dedicated their time and effort toward this documentary and series. -------------------------- #foryou #fypシ #fentanyl #fentanylcrisis #fentanylawareness #crisis #drug #drugs #druguse #community #communitysupport #family #families #police #lawenforcement #series #newseries #originalseries #youtubeseries #prevention #narcan #harm #harmreduction #substanceuse #treatment #treatments #leaders #leadership #commissioner #commissioners #amr #ambulance #medics #family #families #tragicstories #tragedy Stay updated by following us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimatv X: https://twitter.com/kimatv YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews Get your latest breaking news, weather, and sports on our website: https://kimatv.com/ Subscribe to KIMA Action News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews #kimatv #kimaactionnews #yakima #easternwashington #washingtonstate #localnews #news KIMA offers the only Yakima-focused local news, weather, and sports weekdays at 5, 6 & 11.

Tobin warns that the timing of a potential federal funding cut couldn’t be worse. A recent proposal would slash prevention funding by nearly 90%. “It’s going from $723 million to $83 million,” she said. “We’re going to be less than 1% of the pie, and we’re not addressing the demand side. They’re wiping out a lot of mental health resources and prevention programs. A lot of organizations are closing their doors because of this proposal.” She believes long-term solutions don’t come solely from law enforcement or treatment—but from early intervention. Full Article: https://kimatv.com/news/local/whats-next-in-yakimas-drug-crisis-the-future-hinges-on-prevention -------------------------- #foryou #fyp #drug #crisis #drugcrisis #fentanyl #fentanylawareness #fentanylcrisis #focusonfentanyl #focus #overdose #overdoses #overdoseprevention #overdoseawareness #community #communitysupport #substanceuse #substanceabuseprevention #substanceabuseawareness #youth #youngpeople Stay updated by following us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimatv X: https://twitter.com/kimatv YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews Get your latest breaking news, weather, and sports on our website: https://kimatv.com/ Subscribe to KIMA Action News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews #kimatv #kimaactionnews #yakima #easternwashington #washingtonstate #localnews #news KIMA offers the only Yakima-focused local news, weather, and sports weekdays at 5, 6 & 11.

The opioid crisis continues to evolve across the country, and experts in Yakima County say the local fight is far from over. In just one week, the county reported 31 overdoses—two of them fatal. “Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of them survived those overdoses due to Narcan and the training of our first responders,” said Alicia Stromme Tobin, executive director of Safe Yakima Valley. “However, two deaths is still too many.” Full Article: https://kimatv.com/news/local/whats-next-in-yakimas-drug-crisis-the-future-hinges-on-prevention -------------------------- #foryou #fyp #drug #crisis #drugcrisis #fentanyl #fentanylawareness #fentanylcrisis #focusonfentanyl #focus #overdose #overdoses #overdoseprevention #overdoseawareness #community #communitysupport #substanceuse #substanceabuseprevention #substanceabuseawareness Stay updated by following us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimatv X: https://twitter.com/kimatv YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews Get your latest breaking news, weather, and sports on our website: https://kimatv.com/ Subscribe to KIMA Action News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews #kimatv #kimaactionnews #yakima #easternwashington #washingtonstate #localnews #news KIMA offers the only Yakima-focused local news, weather, and sports weekdays at 5, 6 & 11.

In the fight against fentanyl, Yakima leaders say treatment and intervention are at the forefront, but questions remain about whether current investments are making a real impact in saving lives. Yakima County has significantly increased funding for treatment-based alternatives, including the expansion of Drug Court to divert eligible offenders into recovery programs. County Commissioner LaDon Linde said the program has seen strong results. Full Article: https://kimatv.com/news/local/following-the-money-how-officials-are-fighting-fentanyl-with-funding -------------------------- #foryou #fyp #fentanyl #fentanylawareness #fentanylcrisis #yakimacounty #treatment #treatments #intervention #interventions #funding #local #state #federal #localfunding #statefunding #federalfunding #diversion #court #diversioncourt #courts #addictionrecovery #addictionawareness #addictiontreatment #overdose #overdoseprevention #overdoseawareness #lawmakers #lawmaker #statelawmakers #locallawmakers Stay updated by following us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimatv X: https://twitter.com/kimatv YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews Get your latest breaking news, weather, and sports on our website: https://kimatv.com/ Subscribe to KIMA Action News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews #kimatv #kimaactionnews #yakima #easternwashington #washingtonstate #localnews #news KIMA offers the only Yakima-focused local news, weather, and sports weekdays at 5, 6 & 11.

In Part 3 of our “Focus on Fentanyl” series, we hear from the people on the front lines. Local law enforcement officers say they are overwhelmed, understaffed, and battling a drug crisis unlike anything they’ve seen before. “We started seeing fentanyl in Yakima County around 2017,” said a drug specialist with the Yakima Police Department, who asked to remain anonymous due to the nature of their work. “I was very young during the crack epidemic, but I’ve never seen anything like this.” Full Article: https://kimatv.com/news/local/law-enforcement-says-arrests-alone-wont-solve-fentanyl-crisis -------------------------- #foryou #fyp #fentanyl #fentanylawareness #fentanylcrisis #lawenforcement #police #policedepartment #drug #drugaddiction #drugcrisis #yakimacounty #treatment #drugrecovery #recovery #arrest #arrests #arrestsmade #community #communitysupport Stay updated by following us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimatv X: https://twitter.com/kimatv YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews Get your latest breaking news, weather, and sports on our website: https://kimatv.com/ Subscribe to KIMA Action News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews #kimatv #kimaactionnews #yakima #easternwashington #washingtonstate #localnews #news KIMA offers the only Yakima-focused local news, weather, and sports weekdays at 5, 6 & 11.

In Part 3 of our “Focus on Fentanyl” series, we spotlight first responders who are stretched to their limits as the fentanyl crisis deepens. For AMR crews, fentanyl overdoses have become a relentless part of the job. “It’s certainly daily, multiple times daily. We’re probably averaging 12 calls a day,” said David Lynde, Operations Manager for Central Washington AMR. Full Article: https://kimatv.com/news/local/yakima-first-responders-battle-daily-fentanyl-overdoses -------------------------- #foryou #fyp #fentanyl #fentanylawareness #fentanylcrisis #narcan #overdose #overdoses #responder #responders #first #firstresponders #amr #ambulance #yakimacounty #crisis #drug #drugaddiction #calls #limits Stay updated by following us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimatv X: https://twitter.com/kimatv YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews Get your latest breaking news, weather, and sports on our website: https://kimatv.com/ Subscribe to KIMA Action News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews #kimatv #kimaactionnews #yakima #easternwashington #washingtonstate #localnews #news KIMA offers the only Yakima-focused local news, weather, and sports weekdays at 5, 6 & 11.

We continue our fentanyl series with the story of another family affected by this crisis—this time, a Washington mother who lost her 23-year-old son to fentanyl. She asked to remain anonymous, but she allowed us to share her words, her pain, and her son’s story. -------------------------- #foryou #fyp #fentanyl #fentanylcrisis #fentanylawareness #crisis #drug #drugs #druguse #community #communitysupport #family #families #police #lawenforcement #series #newseries #originalseries #youtubeseries #overdose #prevention #family #families #tragicstories #tragedy Stay updated by following us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimatv X: https://twitter.com/kimatv YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews Get your latest breaking news, weather, and sports on our website: https://kimatv.com/ Subscribe to KIMA Action News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews #kimatv #kimaactionnews #yakima #easternwashington #washingtonstate #localnews #news KIMA offers the only Yakima-focused local news, weather, and sports weekdays at 5, 6 & 11.

We continue our fentanyl series by hearing from families who have been deeply impacted, sharing the heartbreak and devastation they’ve experienced after losing loved ones to the drug. A woman is speaking out about the devastating loss of her older sister to fentanyl. For Courtnie Green, this isn’t about statistics—it’s personal. Here’s her story. -------------------------- #foryou #fyp #fentanyl #fentanylcrisis #fentanylawareness #crisis #drug #drugs #druguse #community #communitysupport #family #families #police #lawenforcement #series #newseries #originalseries #youtubeseries #overdose #prevention #family #families #tragicstories #tragedy Stay updated by following us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimatv X: https://twitter.com/kimatv YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews Get your latest breaking news, weather, and sports on our website: https://kimatv.com/ Subscribe to KIMA Action News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews #kimatv #kimaactionnews #yakima #easternwashington #washingtonstate #localnews #news KIMA offers the only Yakima-focused local news, weather, and sports weekdays at 5, 6 & 11.

The series kicked off with insight from Alicia Stromme Tobin, executive director of Safe Yakima Valley, who broke down the devastating effects of fentanyl, the importance of early prevention, and the life-saving role of harm reduction tools like Narcan. “We are number one in Yakima County for overdose deaths per 100,000 in the entire state of Washington,” Tobin said. At the center of the crisis: illicit fentanyl — a drug that’s cheap, potent, and deadly. Just a few grains can be fatal. Full Article: https://kimatv.com/news/local/kima-launches-series-on-fentanyl-epidemic-starting-with-local-preventionist -------------------------- #foryou #fyp #fentanyl #fentanylcrisis #fentanylawareness #crisis #drug #drugs #druguse #community #communitysupport #family #families #police #lawenforcement #series #newseries #originalseries #youtubeseries #overdose #prevention #narcan #harm #harmreduction #substanceuse #treatment #treatments Stay updated by following us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimatv X: https://twitter.com/kimatv YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews Get your latest breaking news, weather, and sports on our website: https://kimatv.com/ Subscribe to KIMA Action News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimaactionnews #kimatv #kimaactionnews #yakima #easternwashington #washingtonstate #localnews #news KIMA offers the only Yakima-focused local news, weather, and sports weekdays at 5, 6 & 11.