Overdose deaths related to fentanyl have more than tripled between 2020 and 2022, according to data released by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office reported a total of 168 overdose deaths occurring in 2022, with 115 of these deaths involving fentanyl.
That compares with the 133 overdose deaths in 2021 — 78 of which involved fentanyl — and 113 overdose deaths in 2020, with 37 related to fentanyl.
The increase in overdose deaths is a trend that has been noted nationally, and according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased 279% between 2016 and 2021.
Locally, several community organizations and county departments are working to address this and reduce the increasing rates in overdose deaths.
During last month’s county budget workshops with the Board of Supervisors, Behavioral Wellness Director Toni Navarro said the department has received funding from the state to expand its treatment programs for stimulant use disorder, which she anticipates can help with the fentanyl crisis.
“This also addresses part of the fentanyl crisis because we know that many of the powdered drugs and pills are also laced with fentanyl throughout the state of California,” Navarro said.
She added that the department is expanding its prevention and early intervention services for those using fentanyl, with a particular focus on youths.
Behavioral Wellness plans to launch a school-based pilot program in Santa Maria, with implementation already planned for Santa Maria High School, Pioneer Valley High School, Righetti High School and Delta High School, and plans to work with Orcutt Academy High School and St. Joseph High School once more staff are available, she said.
County supervisors also asked Santa Barbara County Fire Department Chief Mark Hartwig about medical emergency calls related to drug overdoses in Isla Vista, including during the Deltopia weekend in April.
“It’s something that I don’t think we ever envisioned, but that community — it’s a young community, and many of them are away from home for the first time and, in many cases, they’re experimenting with things they don’t really know the danger of,” Hartwig said. “They’re taking things and using recreational drugs that, quite frankly, are killing them.”
Hartwig said that most fentanyl overdoses that responders see aren’t intentional.
Third-year UC Santa Barbara student Jude Quirinale died last month from a multiple substance overdose at a Deltopia party. In a GoFundMe for Quirinale’s family, his brother said he was “laced with fentanyl and died almost instantly but was resuscitated by emergency services and brought to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.” Quirinale later died, according to the family.
Narcan — the brand name for naloxone, an opioid overdose-reversing drug — has become increasingly available for community members to obtain through local hospitals, community organizations such as the Pacific Pride Foundation, Behavioral Wellness’ Alcohol and Drug Programs, and even ordering for free online.
“Having experience administering Narcan, you take someone who’s clinically dead and administer Narcan and they come back to life,” Hartwig said. “Without Narcan, without some kind of reversing agent, they would perish.”
The Sheriff’s Office recently expanded its free Narcan distribution program, allowing members of the public to receive Narcan and information about a short instructional video at any of the sheriff’s stations throughout the county.
Since the program started in March, more than 140 doses have been distributed to people.
According to data provided by Dave Schierman, director of operations for Santa Barbara County American Medical Response, cases of Narcan administered by first responders in the county also have increased in the past three years.
In 2022, Narcan was administered during 438 calls — excluding calls where Narcan provided no improvements for patients, indicating opioids weren’t involved since Narcan only reverses the effects of opioid overdoses.
That compares to the 385 calls in 2021 and 214 calls in 2020. In data from January through March of this year, there were 96 calls required first responders to administer Narcan, averaging to more than one call resulting in Narcan use per day.
More information on opioids, Narcan and local efforts, as well as on how to receive Narcan for free in Santa Barbara County, can be found on the Santa Barbara Opioid Safety Coalition’s website and on the Behavior Wellness Fentanyl is Forever website.
