As Opioid Overdoses Increase in Santa Barbara County, So Does Use of Narcan Medication
The number of opioid overdoses continues to rise in Santa Barbara County, and the availability and use of naloxone — a medication used to reverse t...
The number of opioid overdoses continues to rise in Santa Barbara County, and the availability and use of naloxone — a medication used to reverse the effects of opioids, better known by its brand name Narcan — also has increased. Fatal overdoses in the county rose 17% from January 2020 to December 2021, and fentanyl-related overdoses have increased 200% in Santa Barbara since 2015, according to a Project Opioid report from the Sheriff's Office. Lompoc had the county's highest rate of overdose deaths in 2021 with 63 fatal overdoses per 100,000 people.