After years of skyrocketing deaths and overdoses related to fentanyl, the numbers are finally on the decline in parts of Northern California.The drop is dramatic in Sacramento County, where there were 404 fentanyl-related deaths in 2023. This year, there have been 195 fentanyl-related deaths so far. KCRA 3 spent months speaking with volunteers, doctors, prosecutors and families about how they're preventing overdoses and saving lives. At the CORE Medical Clinic in Sacramento, hundreds of patients are getting treatment for addiction. Dr. Christine Bell is the medical director and she said when she started 15 years ago she was seeing more heroin, then pills and now fentanyl. And she says the addiction doesn't discriminate. "We see all types of people, teachers, professors, people who work for the state, people who work important jobs who unfortunately fell into the wrong situation and are now addicted to fentanyl," Bell said. Charles Haff is being seen at the clinic and is a recovering fentanyl addict. He said when he arrived at CORE they started him on a low dose of methadone, which helped him recover. "When I got out of prison after doing five years, meth was just different, it wasn't the same, it wasn't getting me high," Haff said. "Everyone was doing heroin and fentanyl so I was like let me get a hit of that." He's overdosed on fentanyl at least 10 times. "When it's bad, it makes me want to crawl out of my skin and hide," he said. His hope, along with Bell, is that more addicts will get the treatment they so badly need. Coming up Sunday at 9:30 p.m. in our special "Breaking Free From Fentanyl," we'll highlight more resources for people in Northern California who are dealing with the impacts of fentanyl, plus show the programs and people making a difference and saving lives. Watch on KCRA 3. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter