Narcan Distribution in Isla Vista Aims to Prevent Opioid Overdoses

“Narcan access is absolutely critical—it’s the difference between a fatal overdose and a second chance,” said Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps during a meetup on March 11 to widen the availability of the opioid blocker. In partnership with UC Santa Barbara Associated Students, the Isla Vista Community Services District, County Fire, and the Behavioral Wellness Department, the event distributed Narcan kits among volunteers along Del Playa Drive in Isla Vista as part of an annual effort to prevent opioid overdoses and promote community safety.

Narcan is an over-the-counter nasal spray that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses from substances like heroin, fentanyl, and prescription pills in 2–3 minutes by blocking receptors in the brain. It is sprayed into one nostril while a person is lying on their back. According to the County Fire Department, if no response occurs in 2–3 minutes, a second dose may be given in the other nostril. 

Capps said expanding access to Narcan has been a major priority for the county. After a fentanyl overdose in Isla Vista during her first year in office, Capps began organizing the annual Narcan distribution event to ensure students could easily access the medication without stigma.

Around 25 volunteers showed up to help distribute Narcan kits around Isla Vista. Firefighters, many of whom are cross-trained as paramedics, taught volunteers how to administer Narcan to a person who may be experiencing an opioid overdose. They emphasized the importance of recognizing the signs of an overdose on opioids, which include respiratory difficulties, unresponsiveness, pinpoint pupils, snoring, or gurgling sounds coming from the individual’s mouth. 

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, overdose deaths had risen in previous years. The county recorded 133 overdose deaths in 2021, including 78 involving fentanyl. The number increased in 2022 to 168 deaths, with 115 related to fentanyl.

According to the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Coroner, cited in a report by the Santa Barbara County Opioid Safety Coalition, Santa Barbara County recorded 130 opioid-related deaths in 2023.

Supervisor Laura Capps said during a recent Board of Supervisors hearing that “overdose-related deaths are down by 41 percent since 2023,” emphasizing that community education efforts “are working.” Capps attributed the decline to a coordinated effort across multiple sectors in the county. “The biggest driver has been a countywide approach that brings public health, hospitals, community providers, and law enforcement to the same table instead of working in silos,” Capps said. She added that the county has increased investment in treatment and recovery programs while expanding harm-reduction tools such as fentanyl test strips and Narcan. Efforts by the Sheriff’s Office to disrupt the local fentanyl supply have also contributed to the decline.

The trend was even larger. Much like the state of California, fatal overdoses from drugs such as fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin hit Santa Barbara County. According to the Santa Barbara Sheriff Coroner’s Office, overdoses in Santa Barbara County rose 17 percent from January 2020 to December 2021, in comparison to the 60 percent rise in the state of California during this same period.

UCSB students Elijah Lira and Angel Hernandez were among those volunteering to distribute Narcan in Isla Vista. Lira recalled witnessing an overdose during his freshman year while the annual Deltopia took place. Paramedics arrived and administered Narcan, and the individual was later reported safe. Lira emphasized the importance of knowing how to administer Narcan.

Capps said she has noticed growing awareness among students and young adults about overdose prevention. “The conversations I have with students now are much more direct about fentanyl, test strips, and carrying Narcan,” she said. “There’s a growing culture of looking out for one another, which is heartening.”

County Fire officials also addressed common misconceptions residents may have about administering Narcan. They explained that Narcan has no harmful side effects if it is given to someone who is not experiencing an overdose. Officials added that many residents hesitate to call 9-1-1 when someone overdoses because they fear they might get in trouble. However, they emphasized that calling emergency services is the safest and most important step in an overdose situation.

Narcan deployments have became widely successful in combatting the opioid crisis, according to a 2022 Opioid Report “The Changing Overdose Crisis in Santa Barbara County: A Community Needs Assessment,” Between 2020 and 2021, Santa Barbara County experienced roughly a 50 percent rise in the number of times emergency personnel administered Narcan. In 2021 alone, there were 727 overdose-related 9-1-1 calls in which Narcan was used, with first responders administering the nasal spray in about 20 percent of those incidents. The Sheriff’s Office has also reported a significant increase, with Narcan deployments rising by 155 percent since 2017. These numbers highlight how providing Narcan to non-medical first responders has played a crucial role in saving lives across Santa Barbara County.

Supervisor Capps praised local paramedics and County Fire for their life-saving work.

“Now you get to save some lives, and that’s pretty cool,” she told the volunteers.