SBC Sheriff's deputies use NARCAN on two suspected overdoses
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials have announced that deputies in the field used NARCAN to reverse the effects of opioid overdose by two individuals they had encountered.
The brand NARCAN, or naloxone, was used by deputies working out of sheriff’s stations in Crestline and Apple Valley.
The brand NARCAN, or naloxone, is an opioid antagonist. It attaches to opioid receptors and reverses and blocks the effects of other opioids, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Examples of opioids include heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine.
Deputies use NARCAN
On Jan. 6, deputies from the Apple Valley Sheriff’s Station responded to a reported overdose in the 19800 block of Red Feather Road in Apple Valley.
Upon arriving, deputies located an unconscious man who was not breathing. Deputies learned that the man had overdosed on heroin.
Deputies administered NARCAN to the man, who began breathing independently and regained consciousness. American Medical Response transported the man to a local hospital for further treatment.
On Dec. 20, deputies from the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station responded to the 23000 block of Valley View Drive in Crestline, where they found an unresponsive man suspected of overdosing.
Deputies immediately administered lifesaving measures, including CPR and NARCAN, to the man.
After deputies confirmed that the man had a pulse and was breathing, San Bernardino County Fire personnel transported him to a local hospital for further medical treatment.
Before NARCAN
Sheriff’s officials announced that three Hesperia Sheriff’s Station officials in 2021 encountered possible drug overdoses and provided CPR until SBC Fire personnel arrived with NARCAN.
Those officials included sheriff’s deputies Jonathan Campos, Elizabeth Holguin, and Detective Robert Oakleaf. They were all given Sheriff’s Lifesaving Awards.
NARCAN approved
In May 2022, the SBC Sheriff's Department approved NARCAN for field use. It was implemented for field use in late 2022 following extensive training.
Approval of NARCAN came through a collaborative effort with the California Department of Public Health's Naloxone Grant Program, the Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency, and the SBC Board of Supervisors.
Increase in fentanyl use
The increase in fentanyl use across the country has led to law enforcement officials carrying naloxone.
The SBC Public Health Officer 2022 issued a health advisory to bring attention to the dangers of fentanyl due to a marked increase in overdose deaths in the county.
County officials released data regarding the local use of fentanyl, which the Drug Enforcement Administration has described as a cheap and powerful synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. Just two milligrams of the drug can be lethal.
In 2018, there were 30 fentanyl overdose deaths in the county. The number rose to 74 residents in 2019 and 227 in 2020. In 2021, there were 309 fentanyl overdose deaths in the county, SBC officials reported.
Fentanyl is responsible for more overdose deaths than any other illegal drug in the U.S., according to the CDC.
The drug is a significant contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S. Its increased presence in the drug supply contributes to the increase in overdose deaths.
Many illegal drugs — including counterfeit prescription opioid pills, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy — can be mixed with fentanyl with or without a person’s knowledge, as they would not be able to see, taste, or smell the fentanyl.
For information about drug use treatment options, call 800- 968-2636.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: SBC Sheriff's deputies use NARCAN on two suspected overdoses
