As the rest of the world enters “Dry January,” Santa Barbara — as well as the rest of the United States — will be observing Substance Abuse Awareness Month. While local stats are still sobering, the number of opioid-related deaths dropped 42 percent in 2025 from the previous year. Of those deaths, 79 percent were fentanyl-related.
Of all substances involved in overdose deaths, however, alcohol remains the single most prevalent. Alcohol combines with a wide multitude of other drugs to cause death. The substances for which the most people are seeking detox and rehab services from the county’s Behavioral Wellness Department are opioids, alcohol, and methamphetamine.
While cocaine has surged recently in public awareness — Donald Trump cited the drug as one of the reasons for invading Venezuela and arresting its president Nicolás Maduro — county officials report cocaine reflects one of the lowest-used drugs falling within the Behavioral Wellness system.
Another substance of concern popping up with no statistical detail in Santa Barbara yet is a highly addictive synthetic opioid-imitator known as kratom, dubbed “gas -station oxy” by some users. In Los Angeles, the city council is going after vape shops that sell kratom at the urging of its public health authorities. In Santa Barbara, its profile is far less pronounced, but is recognized in the addiction community as a matter of concern. The only discussion of the substance to date in front of the Board of Supervisors took place a few months ago during an open mic comment from a member of the public.
