Killer High: Fresno's Fentanyl Anonymous becomes a lifeline for addicts seeking change

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- In a church in north Fresno on a Monday night, the hum of quiet conversation gives way to the simple words: "Thanks for coming to a meeting of Fentanyl Anonymous."

It's a phrase that would have sounded impossible to many just a few years ago - a recovery meeting dedicated not only to fentanyl addiction but to the people who lived through it.

At the front of the room sit Howie and Danny, two men whose friendship began in sober living. What started as late-night phone calls between two recovering addicts trying to stay clean has become a growing movement in Fresno's recovery community - one that gives space to those who felt shut out of traditional 12-step programs.

"We'd go to meetings and try to talk about fentanyl," Howie recalled, "and they'd say, 'You can't speak about that here.'"

So they built their own space.

Fentanyl Anonymous, or FA, was born from frustration and necessity - a response to the growing number of people using multiple substances and struggling to find meetings that spoke directly to their reality.

"A lot of people today are poly-substance users," Danny said. "There's no one group that encompasses everything. We created Fentanyl Anonymous as a judgment-free zone."

Despite its name, the meetings are open to anyone battling any form of addiction - fentanyl, opioids, alcohol, or otherwise. The focus, organizers say, is on recovery, not labels.

"It doesn't matter what your addiction is," Danny added. "All we do is promote recovery in these rooms."

Since their first meeting, attendance has swelled. On some nights, more than 200 people crowd into the room - newcomers, treatment graduates, parents, and people clinging to hope.

"I didn't know there was anybody getting sober when I was using," Danny said. "Now I see people who got it like I got it - and that makes me happy."

A Crisis Requiring a New Kind of Recovery

Fresno's FA meetings reflect a grim reality: fentanyl is now found in nearly every street drug. National data shows it's responsible for the majority of overdose deaths across the U.S., a shift that's left traditional recovery programs struggling to keep pace. According to the California Department of Public Health, fentanyl overdoses have increased 1.5x in 5 years between October 1, 2019, and September 30, 2024, with 5,182 deaths in the state.

"There's a lack of education," Howie said. "People still think everyone who uses fentanyl dies," Danny mentioned.

For those who survive, recovery can be isolating. Many say they've felt stigmatized even in spaces meant for healing.

"Once the deep, dark, gritty stuff comes in," Howie explained, "you're told you can't say that here. But that's where all the bad stuff happens - and that's where people need to talk."

The Power of Breaking Anonymity

Traditional 12-step programs are built on anonymity. But for Danny and Howie, breaking that rule felt necessary to reach people who might not otherwise find help.

"How's anybody going to know this is even possible if we're doing it anonymously?" Danny asked.

That transparency has helped erase shame - and inspired others to share their stories publicly. At one meeting, a young woman named Kassie stood to speak about psychosis and hospitalization before treatment.

"This meeting changed my life," she said through tears. "I made more friends here than I ever did in my addiction."

Moments later, applause filled the room as key tags - small plastic tokens representing days, months, or years of sobriety - were handed out. Each cheer echoed like a lifeline.

"The newcomer is the most important," Howie said. "They need to feel love, support, compassion - and know they're not alone."

Fresno's Recovery Community: Stronger Than It Seems

Fresno may be one of the hardest-hit areas in California's fentanyl crisis, but Howie and Danny say it's also one of the most resilient.

"As far as getting help out here, Fresno is probably one of the strongest recovery communities I've ever seen in the country," Howie said. "There's a lot of people willing to help."

Danny agreed:

"We don't know what it is, but there's something in Fresno that's different."

The Fresno County Coroner's Office reported that fentanyl-related overdose deaths have decreased from a peak of 114 in 2021 to 33 as of August 2025. Officials credit expanded education and outreach for the decline, while recovery leaders say peer-based programs like FA have also helped raise awareness.

The Ripple Effect

Both founders resist taking credit for the program's success.

"If we took all the praise, it would stop with us," Howie said. "We want to spread it to other people - so they can go and do their own thing."

Across the U.S. and Canada, new Fentanyl Anonymous meetings have begun forming - a grassroots expansion driven by people in recovery themselves.

Each meeting ends the same way, with a reading called Finding Freedom:

"Some of us used to struggle with addiction, but we found a way out. Our own experiences make us uniquely able to help those still fighting," Anu, a FA member read from a printout.

It's not just a closing statement. It's a reminder that even in a crisis defined by loss, Fresno's recovery community continues to show that change is possible.

To learn more about Fentanyl Anonymous and to find a meeting near you, visit their website.

For full coverage on our docuseries, "Killer High," go here.