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PAJARO, California (KSBW) -- A new billboard in Pajaro is warning people about the dangers of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid.
The billboard, located on Salinas Street, a busy road connecting Salinas and Pajaro, features the smiling face of Tosh Ackerman, who died in 2015 after consuming a counterfeit Xanax pill laced with fentanyl.
"What do you think Tosh would say today if he saw his face on a billboard and knew it was because of his mom?" asked Christian Balderas.
"He would think, well he didn't like drama — that is one thing I knew about Tosh. I always imagine he would say 'Mom, you're making too big a deal about this.' But I think he'd realize the importance of it, too. He would be proud. He was proud of his mom," responded Carrie Luther, Tosh's mother.
Luther has been on a crusade to raise awareness about fentanyl poisonings since her son's death.
The billboard is just the latest in her ongoing efforts, which include a mural painted outside his father's skate shop and traveling the country to speak to students and lawmakers.
"When he told me they found 13 milligrams of fentanyl in his system and he's known of people to die of just 3 (milligrams), I knew I had to do something," Luther said.
Fentanyl overdoses in Santa Cruz County have spiked during the pandemic, with less than six deaths in 2019, and then exponentially climbing to at least 100 in 2023.
The statistics are even more alarming when looking at the entire state.
"I've looked at how much Narcan we give every day in Santa Cruz County and it just goes up and up," said Dr. Ghilarducci, who hears of a fentanyl-related overdose daily.
Luther emphasizes that her son was poisoned and did not overdose, a distinction not widely tracked.
She is demanding changes in how these cases are recorded.
"I mean, I wish I can change it, right? He died in his bed in the middle of the night. Shouldn't have happened, but it did and here we are so, I'm going to do everything I can," Luther said.
The billboard in Pajaro is just the start of many more.
Twelve more ads featuring Tosh's face are planned for San Francisco, and Luther hopes there will be more on the Central Coast.
