A new report shows that major efforts to reduce the number of drug-related deaths in Santa Barbara County may be having a big impact.
In 2022, Santa Barbara County had 115 fentanyl related overdose deaths. That year, the county launched Project Opioid, an effort to increase awareness about the dangers posed by opioids, especially fentanyl.
The effort includes education, as well as making Narcan kits widely available. Narcan can be administered by anyone and can counteract the effects of an opioid overdose.
Just released statistics showed that the number of overdose deaths in Santa Barbara County dropped from a five-year peak of 158 in 2023 to 93 last year. The number of fentanyl deaths dropped from the peak of 115 in 2022 to 46 last year.
