Sheriff’s Office Recognizes National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day
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On Monday, August 21st, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office recognizes National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day by continuing to take action with Project Opioid, a diverse coalition of community leaders from various disciplines committed to addressing the opioid crisis and saving lives, and through our agency’s widespread distribution of the lifesaving drug Narcan (Naloxone).
The latest data on overdose deaths in our county reveals that the situation remains critical. There were 118 total overdose deaths from January 1 to July 31, 2023; 63 of those deaths were related to fentanyl. This compares to 105 overdose deaths during the same period in 2022, with 70 of those related to fentanyl. These numbers reflect the exponential growth in recent years of overdose deaths generally, and fentanyl-related deaths specifically. Of note, in the 2020 calendar year there were 113 total overdose deaths, with 37 related to fentanyl.
The Sheriff’s Office believes that the 10% reduction in fentanyl-related deaths we have seen year-to-date is likely related to the widespread distribution and use of Narcan (naloxone) throughout our county. We have a FREE Narcan Distribution Project in partnership with the Department of Health Care Services that makes Narcan available to anyone, no questions asked, at ANY of the Sheriff’s Patrol Stations throughout the county, as well as at our Northern Branch and Main Jails. Since this program began less than six months ago, the Sheriff’s Office has distributed over 1,790 life-saving doses of Narcan to community members. The Narcan is in the form of a nasal spray and can be possessed and used by concerned citizens who may encounter someone unconscious due to an opioid overdose. California’s Good Samaritan laws shield anyone who administers Narcan in such a situation from civil liability.
Sheriff Bill Brown said, “Narcan is a harmless, yet miraculous drug that reverses the often-lethal effects of an opioid overdose. Simply put, it’s easy to use, and it saves lives. Making more Narcan available to community members will help us lower the unacceptably high rate of overdose deaths that is prevalent in our community and across the nation.”
Our Sheriff’s Office deputies and custody deputies also continue to administer Narcan to those suspected of experiencing acute opioid overdoses. Since 2017, we have administered over 150 doses of Narcan throughout the county in exigent circumstances, with 40 administrations in 2023 alone. Additionally, we have partnered with the Pacific Pride Foundation and begun providing Narcan training to inmates – and making Narcan available to them in jail housing areas — beginning in the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Maria. We will be expanding that training and provision of Narcan to inmates in our Main Jail in the near future.
FREE Narcan (naloxone) can be obtained at the following Santa Barbara County Sheriff locations:
Buellton Sheriff’s Station
City of Buellton Police Department
140 W. Highway 246
Buellton, CA 93427
(805) 686-8150
Coastal Bureau Sheriff’s Station
City of Carpinteria Police Department
5775 Carpinteria Ave
Carpinteria, CA 93103
(805) 568-3399
Goleta Valley Patrol Bureau
City of Goleta Police Department
4434 Calle Real
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
(805) 681-4100
Isla Vista Foot Patrol
6504 Trigo Rd.
Isla Vista, CA 93117
(805) 681-4179
Lompoc Valley Sheriff’s Station
3500 Harris Grade Rd.
Lompoc, CA 93436
(805) 737-7737
New Cuyama Sheriff’s Station
70 Newsome St.
New Cuyama, CA 93254
(661) 766-2310
Santa Maria Sheriff’s Station
812 W. Foster Rd.
Santa Maria, CA 93455
(805) 934-6150
Santa Ynez Valley Station
City of Solvang Police Department
1745 Mission Dr.
Solvang, CA 93463
(805) 686-5000
Santa Barbara County Main Jail
4436 Calle Real
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
Phone: (805) 681-4260
Northern Branch Jail
2301 Black Road
Santa Maria, CA 93455
(805) 554-3100