sbsheriff
By the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is sharing its latest data on overdose death statistics in the county, which reveals that the situation continues to escalate.
A total of 168 overdose deaths occurred in 2022, with 115 of them being related to fentanyl. This compares to 133 total overdose deaths in 2021, with 78 related to fentanyl. In 2020, there were 113 total overdoses with 37 related to fentanyl.
In light of these alarming statistics, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is taking action. The Sheriff’s Office and Project Opioid, a diverse coalition of community leaders from various disciplines, are committed to addressing the opioid crisis and saving lives. To this end, they are supporting the distribution of Narcan, a drug that reverses the often-lethal effects of an opioid overdose.
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 we are seeing in our community and across the nation.”
Beginning this week, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is hosting a FREE Narcan Distribution Program through the Department of Health Care Services, Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP) at Sheriff’s Headquarters (4434 Calle Real, Santa Barbara), as well as the Carpinteria (5775 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria) and Santa Maria (812 W. Foster Road, Santa Maria) substations. This program aims to distribute Narcan to members of the public and increase awareness about the opioid crisis and the importance of Narcan in saving lives. Members of the public can come to the lobby of one of these three stations during business hours, obtain information about a short instructional video and receive Narcan. This program is free to the public and members of the public are not required to provide personal information to participate.
The Sheriff’s Office is joining our partners in Project Opioid who also have Narcan distribution programs including the Pacific Pride Foundation, the Santa Barbara Opioid Safety Coalition, UC Santa Barbara Student Health Services Alcohol and Drug Program, and Fentanyl is Forever SB. The members of Project Opioid are committed to working together to address the opioid crisis and reduce the number of overdose deaths in the county. The Narcan Distribution Program is an important step towards achieving this goal, and we encourage community members to take advantage of this program and help us save lives.
1-2 people die of opiate overdose in SF County a day. Source: Google
So there I am in the process of almost shooting Tranq into a new spot above the huge abscess on my abdomen when social worker comes up to me and says: “hey there Mr. Tranq user, here is some free marijuana” OMG I say, you mean I could have been sitting in the sun in the park doing a little weed instead of Tranq? I didn’t see that poster anywhere at the needle exchange” Have I ever exchanged a needle? Beside the point, but no. People like myself who slam Tranq usually have the needle fall out while we are staggering around and I’m supposed to go looking for it?
And I know you were talking about legal recreational weed and am wondering if medicinal marijuana cards are never used for recreational use in NV because we all know no one here in CA ever used a medicinal use card for recreational you back then
Well, according to your link, 3 of the lowest overdose death rate states are among the 4 that have weed being completely illegal and the highest death rate is in a state WV that allows medical use. Connecticut has a high death rate by overdose but marijuana is completely legal there: Explain
Question: Are you saying people who use illegal opiates are reluctant to use illegal weed because it is illegal? SC says marijuana is illegal, has a high opiate death rate, but has penalties for marijuana possession are magnitudes lower than the penalties for illegal opioids.
But maybe you are onto something. All we need to do for all the opiate junkies in SF that are at risk to overdose is to educate them about marijuana is legal, as if they do not already know that?
FOND and EDNEY – recreational weed does not cause opiate addiction. That is what I’m saying.
Typos fixed. Apologies.
“I know you were talking about legal recreational weed and am wondering if medicinal marijuana cards are never used for recreational use in WV because we all know no one here in CA ever used a medicinal use card for recreational use back then”
Well, Sac, I never thought it could be possible for us to agree on anything.
I was bornin the60’s and a product of the 80’s, and like many then thought cocaine was a fun thing to do.
I smoked back then as well(cigs)and I have to say I used good weed to break both addictions, so,I don’t believe that smoking weed leads to harder drugs.
For me it was the reverse.
Bad choices and how you deal with them have a lot to do with it.
” recreational weed does not cause opiate addiction. That is what I’m saying.”
Yes, that is what you are saying now, but you brought some interstate comparisons in and I was clearly addressing your thoughts on that.
Now we are rehashing correlation vs causation.
Marijuana use often has a correlation to some individuals progression to harder drugs. I gave you a parody example, but chances are the opiate user tried marijuana before trying opiates and combos like Tranq. At this point, the marijuana doesn’t fulfill the Fentanyl or Tranq users need. I agree that marijuana does not always lead to opiate use, the users just need more of different a high, but the correlation and progression of some users from marijuana to opiates can’t be denied either. To spread the love around, alcohol use often precedes other drug abuses as well but is also correlative not causative.
All is well in S.B.: just ask the mayor.
And California, as a whole, is glorifying pot consumption which is the entrance door to consuming all this other horrible crap!
But that doesn’t bother anyone! The state HOPES to make money on that!
How pathetic!
You’re the definition of a broken record…..
” glorifying pot consumption which is the entrance door to consuming all this other horrible crap!” – LOL absolute BS. Take a look at some actual facts for once:
Death rate from opiates:
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/drug_poisoning_mortality/drug_poisoning.htm
Legalization by state:
https://disa.com/maps/marijuana-legality-by-state
NONE of the top 5 states with opiate death have recreational weed. Take a look at death rates in CA and then get back to us. LOL!!
FONDOFSB: Your education on this is clearly stuck in the 1970s. Bone up my friend!
5335: This is all happening NOW, NOT in the 1970.
Keep your head in the sand: it’ll only get worse and it IS getting worse.
Look at the statistics quote in the O.P. !
Sacjon:
Ya ! LOOK at the statistics quoted in the O.P.
POT consumption IS glorified, encouraged and pushed by the State as a way to “raise more revenues” and YES hard drug consumption and DEATHS are strongly UP in California !
FOND – “and YES hard drug consumption and DEATHS are strongly UP in California !” – so what (in regard to your theory)? That doesn’t prove that recreational weed leads to opiate use and overdose. Look again at the facts I posted. The highest rates of opiate death/use is in states where cannabis is NOT legal for recreational use.
Point is that what you are saying is happening is not actually factual or happening. Way back in the 70s your beliefs were however quite popular. Yes, please DO look at the statistics!!
We need much tighter security at the border. It’s simply unconscionable that the current administration facilitates the flood of fentanyl across the border.
The xenophobia I was referring to is the statement that the Mexican border is getting all the blame for fentanyl smuggling when the facts state the majority comes from China. But thanks for the spin.
It. Won’t. Work.
People who are desperate for drugs will find a way to get them. Always.
Fentanyl comes from labs in China. Then in turn, about 60% of all drugs are smuggled into the country by air. But making the old white people have another reason to be scared of brown people works pretty well as a distraction from the fact that the GOP has no ideas and is just whining 90% of the time.
It’s not being brought in by undocumented hiking through AZ with a backpack. It’s coming in via transport trucks, cleverly hidden amongst the cargo.
The “current administration” does not “facilitate the flood of fentanyl”.
Turn off Fox News or whatever other misleading ‘news’ source you follow.
Turn off Fox News but keep your news on that says the “border is secure”? Yeah, your ‘news’ source is totally not misleading as well.
Yeah, the border is secure and inflation is at 0. People buy that crap as we see things falling apart around us? I agree with you.A-168…
This administration TOTALLY allows more drugs to flow into the country and shame on them!
DEA reports, “While Mexico and China are the primary source countries for fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked directly into the United States, India is emerging as a source for finished fentanyl powder and fentanyl precursor chemicals.”
And this. “Currently, China remains the primary source of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked through international mail and express consignment operations environment, as well as the main source for all fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States.”
https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/DEA_GOV_DIR-008-20%20Fentanyl%20Flow%20in%20the%20United%20States_0.pdf
But don’t let facts get in the way of your xenophobia.
Weird how enforcing existing laws enacted by elected officials is now considered “xenophobic”. If you don’t feel that a secure boarded and enforcement of our current laws is just, by your same logic, you should be opening your home to any homeless person that knocks on your door and needs a bed (or sneaks in an open window).
So sad to see this in our precious community. Pot back in the 70’s was about a thousand times weaker. This is new pot is dangerous stuff. Traffic accidents are way up too across the country but more from distracted driving. PUT THE PHONES DOWN when driving!
“This is new pot is dangerous stuff. ” – No, it’s just more potent. No one is dying from it, no one is getting addicted.
SZQ: You’re right, weed kills many more people than alcohol or pills. My buddy once injected 5 marijuanas on Christmas Eve and ate half of the cookies the kids had decorated then started talking about aliens. It was terrifying, we almost had to make an emergency call to Little Caesar’s on Milpas.
Of course legalizing pot has brought on this wave of opioids and fentanyl overdoses. Did anyone really believe that once pot was legalized, the cartels without product to bring in to the US, would just disappear?
No, the cartels did the logically thing and looked for new drugs to sell in the US. And here we are with a drug problem larger than ever.
Bumblebee– Legalizing weed actually has the opposite effect. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6667507/
Bumblebee, common sense doesn’t work here, all comments contradictory to the narrative need to be cited by approved sources only.
BUMBLEBEE – “Of course legalizing pot has brought on this wave of opioids and fentanyl overdoses. ” – Prove it. Where’s your cite?
SB Tahoe. I agree with you that the cartels predominantly use trucks at ports of entry. There is evidence it is being carried in through the border, and immigrants are intimidated to carry it. There is video and news stories about it from PBS to NBC , most of it is through local TV outlets. Its not hard to find.
Here is a quote from a different source
“At approximately 2:43 a.m., Eagle Pass agents responded to a remote camera activation at a local ranch. Upon arrival, agents alongside their K9 unit, began their pursuit and apprehended a Mexican national. A search of his backpack revealed 24 packages wrapped in black tape. The subject was transported to the south processing center in Eagle Pass, Texas where a subsequent search of his backpack revealed the packages contained 14.77 pounds (6.7kg) of crystal methamphetamine, 5.56 pounds (2.52kg) of fentanyl pills, 1.08 pounds (0.49kg) of cocaine, and 1.08 pounds (0.49kg) of marijuana.
Lost in the back and forth here is the great news that Narcan, Naloxone will be sold over the counter in the nasal spray form. (I’d also like to see birth control pills, morning after pill be over the counter).
Naloxone has been in use since 1960’s so it has been well tested.
I will buy two. One for home in case a visitor needs it, and one in my vehicle first aid kit and encourage everyone to.
Hopefully the next generation of youth forges a more sober path than we have and the need for Narcan will drop due to their enlightened approach to the dangers in opiate misuse.
EDNEY – I agree 100%. Good idea.