Naloxone resources and information about fentanyl
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
NALOXONE (NARCAN®) DISTRIBUTION SITES
Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz County
Can deliver free Naloxone to your location. Call or text. Fentanyl Test Strips also available.
Open to all ages, including youth under 18.
(831) 769-4700 HRCofSCC@gmail.com
Janus of Santa Cruz
Naloxone available. Open to all ages, including youth under 18.
Main Number (831) 462-1060.
1000A Emeline Ave, Santa Cruz (M-F 5:30am-2pm) and 284 Pennsylvania Dr, Watsonville (M-F 5am-1pm)
Santa Cruz County Health Services
Naloxone available at no cost. Open to all ages, including youth under 18.
Santa Cruz Health Center 1080 Emeline Ave, Santa Cruz. (831) 454-4100
Watsonville Health Center 1430 Freedom Blvd, Suite D, Watsonville. (831) 763-8400
Homeless Persons Health Project (HPHP) 115-A Coral St, Santa Cruz. (831) 454-2080
Syringe Service Program (SSP) of Santa Cruz County
Naloxone available at no cost. Youth under 18 can enter with a parent/guardian.
(831) 454-2437. Call for hours.
Santa Cruz: 1060 Emeline Ave Building F, Santa Cruz.
Watsonville: 1430 Freedom Blvd Suite B, Watsonville
Recovery Cafe Santa Cruz
Naloxone available at no cost Mon & Fri 11am-1pm. (831) 687-8783
Cavalry Church 532 Center St, Santa Cruz
We recommend contacting pharmacies first to confirm they have Naloxone in stock.
Westside Pharmacy and Medical Supply
Naloxone covered by Medi-Cal, Medicare, or can self-pay.
1401 Mission St, Santa Cruz. (831) 423-7175
Frank's Pharmacy
Naloxone covered by Medi-Cal, Medicare, or can self-pay.
7548 Soquel Dr, Aptos. (831) 685-1100
Horsnyder Pharmacy and Medical Supply
Naloxone covered by Medi-Cal, Medicare, or can self-pay.
1226 Soquel Ave #A, Santa Cruz. (831) 458-1400
Other local pharmacies may have Naloxone in stock. We recommend contacting to confirm.
WHAT IS
NALOXONE?
-
Naloxone (brand name Narcan®) is a life-saving FDA-approved medication that is used to reverse the effects of overdoses from opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, and morphine.
-
Naloxone can be administered two ways: through injections (like a shot) or via nasal spray.
-
To learn more about how naloxone saves lives, go to the CDC’s naloxone page or read the National Harm Reduction Coalition’s opioid overdose guide.
VIDEO: HOW TO USE NALOXONE
VIDEO: WHAT IS NALOXONE?
Santa Cruz Community Health Centers (SCCH)
Naloxone available at no cost.
(831) 427-3500 x 326. Please leave your name and phone number.
Santa Cruz Women's Health Center 250 Locust St, Santa Cruz.
Live Oak Health Center 1510 Capitola Rd, Santa Cruz
SC Mountain Health 9500 Central Ave, Ben Lomond
Dominican Hospital ED
Naloxone available on request.
1555 Soquel Dr, Santa Cruz. (831) 462-7700
Salud Para La Gente
Naloxone available.
Call to make an appointment.
204 E Beach St, Watsonville. Call center (831) 728-0222 or Margarita (831) 728-8250 x 1064. M-F 9-5 voicemail
Watsonville Community Hospital
Naloxone on request.
75 Nielson St, Watsonville. (831) 761-5655
OVERDOSE: RECOGNIZE AND RESPOND
We can all play a part in saving lives!
Signs of an overdose: remember PS CHUG!
Pale or discolored fingernails, lips, or skin
Slow/shallow/stopped breathing
Cold/Clammy Skin
Heartbeat has become very slow or stops
Unconscious/Unresponsive (limp, unable to wake up or speak)
Gurgling, Vomiting, Choking
If you think someone is overdosing:
Acting quickly is crucial!
Administer naloxone (Narcan®) if available.
Call 911 immediately (California's Good Samaritan Law protects you and the person you're calling for from legal liability).
Give one rescue breath every five seconds to supply oxygen.
Stay with the person needing help until EMS arrives
Lay the person on their side to prevent choking.
UNDERSTANDING FENTANYL
What is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is up to 100x more potent than morphine and up to 50x more potent than heroin. Because of fentanyl's high potency, it poses a greater risk for overdose and mortality. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S.
While traditionally used in the hospital setting by doctors, there is now illegal manufacturing of illicit fentanyl that has flooded the US street drug supply.
Non-prescribed fentanyl is being sold as counterfeit pills such as Norco®, Percocet®, Xanax®, and Oxycontin®. It's also being sold as heroin in a powder form and has been found in methamphetamine and cocaine.
What is the Risk?
People who unknowingly take fentanyl that is mixed into other drugs are at the greatest risk for overdose and fatality.
State and Local Trends:
In California, there have been several recent reported cases of fatal overdoses from counterfeit pills with fentanyl that were purchased on Snapchat and Instagram.
In Santa Cruz County, fatal overdoses from fentanyl increased 13-fold from 5 deaths in 2019 to 65 deaths in 2022 (June 2023 Santa Cruz Coroner Data).
Drug Checking for Fentanyl
Using fentanyl testing strips is one of the most effective ways to reduce risk if you plan on using substances. However, testing strips are not 100% accurate! Fentanyl isn't always evenly distributed throughout substances, which means a test strip may come back negative, but there could be fentanyl in another part of your drug, especially in solid pills. Additionally, strips may not detect certain types of fentanyl.
Fentanyl test strips are legal to distribute and possess in California for public health purposes (Assembly Bill 1598). This may not be the case in other states, so check your state laws.
Video: How to use fentanyl test strips
(5 min) Important, please review carefully!
Fentanyl test strip resources:
Syringe Service Program Santa Cruz (831) 454-2437. 1060 Emeline Ave Building F, Santa Cruz.
Syringe Service Program Watsonville (831) 454-2437. 1430 Freedom Blvd Suite A, Watsonville
Fentanyl vs morphine:
it takes much less fentanyl than morphine to cause an overdose!
A lethal 2mg dose of fentanyl next to a penny (US Drug Enforcement Administration)
CDC Video (30 sec): Dangers of Fentanyl
Other Safety Tips
-
Assume that all non-prescribed substances contain fentanyl.
-
Avoid street/fake pills.
-
Never use alone (friends can save your life)
-
Always have naloxone (Narcan®) in case of an overdose.
-
Start low and go slow (watch and wait before using more).
-
Avoid mixing (using two or more types of drugs at one time).