A mother shared how her son died from an overdose involving heroin mixed with fentanyl, emphasizing the critical role of Narcan.
Pattie Roberts stated on March 25, 2024, that it’s vital for families dealing with loved ones suffering from opioid addiction to have Narcan, a crucial opioid reversal drug. Roberts lost her son, Danny Roberts, in 2018 after he consumed what she believed was heroin laced with fentanyl.
- In 2024, 200 individuals died due to overdose in Ventura County.
- Fentanyl-related fatalities decreased by 36.5% compared to the previous year.
- The local reduction in overdose deaths aligns with a national trend.
Overdose-related fatalities in Ventura County saw a nearly 25% decrease in 2024, continuing a streak of three years of declining drug-related deaths.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office annual report recorded 200 overdose deaths last year, reflecting a 24.5% decline from 2023’s figure of 265.
This also shows a nearly 31% drop compared to 2021, the year when local overdose deaths reached a high of 289.
The expected decline for 2024 follows the medical examiner’s third-quarter report, which showed an even sharper decrease of 30% in fatalities during the first nine months of the year.
The latest report also highlights that the decrease in fentanyl-related overdose deaths was more significant than the overall drop.
The number of fentanyl-related fatalities in 2024 stood at 113, reflecting a 36.5% decrease from the previous year’s total of 178. The local deaths associated with the potent synthetic opioid peaked in 2022, which was a time of rising overdose fatalities linked to the drug.
Authorities note that fentanyl is often mixed with counterfeit prescription medications and methamphetamine, contributing to many overdose fatalities.
The medical examiner’s report indicated that 183 out of the 200 overdose deaths last year were accidental, with 15 classified as suicides and two remaining undetermined. Males made up 145 of the fatalities (over 72%), while 55 females were reported, and only two minors were included in the total.
This report encompasses deaths related to overdoses from illegal drugs, prescriptions, alcohol, and other substances. Many of these fatalities involved multiple substances, as authorities suggested.
Opioids, which include fentanyl-related incidents, constituted the largest category with 143 deaths reported. Remarkably, only three fatalities in 2024 were directly caused by heroin use, according to the findings.
The overall reduction in overdose deaths seen locally mirrors a broader trend observed nationally, as indicated by findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of late February, the agency’s preliminary data indicated a decrease of about 23.7% for the U.S. over a 12-month period ending in September. For California, a reduction of over 20% was also reported.
Despite the reported decreases, the numbers remain significantly high by historical standards, approximately double what they were in 2014, and nearly five times higher than in 2001.
Local law enforcement, healthcare providers, and mental health professionals were unable to pinpoint a simple reason for the decline in drug-related deaths when the issue was discussed in January.
According to Sheriff’s Capt. Ron Smith, while the availability of fentanyl remains high in the community, the rate of overdoses has not necessarily decreased; rather, lethal outcomes have diminished thanks to public awareness campaigns and the wider distribution of naloxone (commonly known by the brand Narcan), which reverses opioid overdose effects. A nasal spray version of naloxone is now available without the need for a prescription.
Other local leaders pointed out improvements in addiction treatment, the establishment of a new detox center at Ventura County Medical Center, and increased public awareness regarding the risks of fentanyl.
