AnonymousSource: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
Early [Friday] morning, deputies resuscitated two overdose patients, at two separate locations, less than an hour apart. At 2:34 a.m. today, deputies responded with County Fire and AMR to 6500-block of Trigo for an unconscious subject. When deputies arrived, they found an unconscious person who appeared to have overdosed on opioids. Deputies administered Narcan to the patient who quickly regained consciousness and was later transported to an area hospital by AMR for continued care.
At 3:02 a.m., deputies responded with County Fire and AMR to an additional call of an overdose in the 6600-block of Del Playa. Deputies again found a patient who was unconscious, and they administered Narcan. This patient also regained consciousness and was later transported by AMR to an area hospital for continued care.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public about the danger signs of opioid overdose and encourage a call to 911 if you witness the following symptoms:
- Face is extremely pale or feels clammy to the touch
- Body has gone limp
- Fingernails or lips have a purple or blue color
- Vomiting or making gurgling noises
- Cannot be awakened or is unable to speak
- Breathing or heartbeat slows or stops
You can read more about opioid misuse and overdose danger signs through Cottage Health System’s website, cottagehealth.org or by clicking here.
Doulie is absolutely correct. Hum, time of day must have meaning some how in this over dose.
They do not arrest people in these situations because they want people to call for medical help rather than just let their friend die. They become a patient when they begin having a medical emergency, and they do not deserve to die just because they have taken drugs, and in this situation, have taken too much. In fact, in California and in many other states, there are laws protecting people from being arrested in these situations. AB 472 states: It shall not be a crime for any person who experiences a drug-related overdose, as defined, who, in good faith, seeks medical assistance, or any other person who, in good faith, seeks medical assistance for the person experiencing a drug-related overdose, to be under the influence of, or to possess for personal use, a controlled substance, controlled substance analog, or drug paraphernalia, under certain circumstances related to a drug-related overdose that prompted seeking medical assistance if that person does not obstruct medical or law enforcement personnel”
DOULIE – what’s your problem?? Being under the influence is a misdemeanor at most, on the same level as “disturbing the peace” or playing music past curfew. Sometimes, people take a drug they aren’t accustomed to during the experimental phase we ALL went through as youths. During college and my early 20s I have seen plenty of people at parties get too drunk, too stoned, too tripped out, and yeah too high on opiates, and ALL of them regretted it. Sometimes you take a bad pill or too much. Not everyone who gets high or drunk is a criminal.
Have you ever gotten drunk or smoke a joint? If so, sit down. If not, try to open your mind and consider the possible circumstances.
Were these two people arrested? If not, why not? There’s a law against being under the influence of a narcotic/illegal drug. You’re too kind when referring to this criminal as a “patient.”
Whoever is downvoting SB TAHOE for sharing his/her tragic stories of loss should be ashamed of themselves. You’re sick, whoever you are.
CSF – How is it a “suicide attempt” to take a pill at a party that you may have no experience with? Kids/young adults try drugs. How is it you all equate drugs at a party in IV with some “new” disgraceful problem in society? It happens. Every year for generations. College aged people get drunk and try drugs. Sometimes, people take the wrong thing, or too much if they don’t know. If these ODs were happening to teachers at a school during the day or at a bank or the courthouse or docs in the operating room or something, yeah…. then there’d be cause for alarm. If these people were habitual users/addicts, then they need long term help, not jail. If they were one time/first time experimental users, they’re lucky to be alive and will probably never take another pill again. Either way, jail is useless and a waste of resources. If these kids have problems, help them. If not, they learned a terrifying and valuable lesson.
I’m not a psychiatrist but I doubt these OD’s in IV apartmemts are suicide attempts, I think more likely clueless kids wanting to try to get higher and higher.
It is not a form of suicide attempt if the user thought they were ingesting an appropriate amount of an opioid such as heroin or oxycontin but had been given fentanyl instead. A few months ago my 25 year old cousin Sam took what he thought was Oxy for back pain, it was fentanyl, he died in his sleep.
My father and brother suffered from addiction, my brother died from it. My sister and my step-son struggle with it. Arresting drug users is not a solution.
I’m not sure about arrested, but something more should happen apart from “Great you’re alive, have a nice day.” I would have them hospitalized under a 5150 hold, or something similar, for observation. It really is a form of suicide attempt, albeit probably a little less intentional. At least you’d have an opportunity at getting them into a diversion program. I think after a certain number of resuscitations you could then discuss a longer hold, or just giving up with the constant resuscitations and just look at it as an assisted suicide if that’s what the persons seems to be going for after numerous overdoses. .
The War on Drugs is an abject failure. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Maybe the Arrest Em All people should be on a psychiatric hold?