Santa Barbara sheriff’s deputies save three drug overdose patients with new tech

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office saved the lives of three drug overdose patients by administering a newly-issued drug medication.

Naloxone is used to block the effects of narcotics overdoses. The medication has been issued to sheriff’s deputies since the beginning of this year.

The overdoses took place on Tuesday and Wednesday in unrelated incidents.

Tuesday’s incident occurred at around 6:30 p.m. on the 4400 block of Kenai Court in Orcutt. Two men in their early twenties were identified as the patients in the incident.

The second incident involved a 19-year-old male UCSB student. He was found just before midnight on Wednesday on the 6700 block of Trigo Road in Isla Vista.

In both instances, deputies arrived on scene before paramedics. All three men were unconscious, demonstrated symptoms of an opioid drug overdose and were administered Naloxone. The patients eventually regained consciousness and were transported to the hospital for treatment.

Multiple overdose patients have already been saved since the sheriff’s department was issued and trained to administer Naloxone. The medical nasal spray is given to all Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies.