Marin County Public Health Special Status Update for February 28, 2025, includes Fentanyl Contamination in Narcotics
The Marin County Public Health Status Update is released on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month to provide news and resources concerning public health priorities.
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Fentanyl Contamination in Narcotics
Last weekend, two teens died in Santa Rosa due to suspected fentanyl poisoning; two other teens were hospitalized. It was reported that the youth believed they were using cocaine; however, their drug supply was tainted with fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine. Numerous illegal narcotics are currently being mixed with fentanyl to increase potency, and often, the narcotics user is unaware of the potentially deadly fentanyl contamination.
Since 2014, Marin County Public Health has spearheaded the OD Free Marin initiative to prevent and reduce opioid-related deaths. This strategy involves weekly surveillance, which includes wastewater monitoring and analysis of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) records from 911 calls. At this time, there is no evidence suggesting an uptick in overdose incidents among youth in Marin County linked to the Santa Rosa incident.
OD Free Marin also distributes harm-reduction tools including fentanyl test strips and opioid overdose reversal medications like naloxone. Marin County Public Health encourages all community members to carry naloxone. If you or someone you know uses drugs, we recommend using fentanyl test strips.
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Visit Find Naloxone — OD Free Marin to locate and learn more about naloxone.
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Visit Fentanyl and test strips — OD Free Marin to identify and learn more about fentanyl test strips.
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Visit Data Dashboard — OD Free Marin to learn more about overdose in Marin County.