Santa Clara County fast-tracks Narcan to fight fentanyl overdoses in libraries

County officials say the overdose-fighting medicine could appear in three library branches within the next two months

In an effort to fight back against an explosive increase in fentanyl deaths in Santa Clara County, officials are trying to quickly supply Narcan to library branches and teach staff there how to prevent overdoses.

Narcan, also known as Naloxone, is a nasal spray that helps revive individuals who are experiencing a fentanyl overdose. If successful, the county will soon have three of its libraries — in Milpitas, Saratoga and Gilroy — carry the medicine within the next two months.

Though officials say there hasn’t yet been an overdose in a county library, the effort is part of a statewide push to get Narcan in public spaces.

Assemblymember Matt Haney is currently working on legislation, AB24, that would supply Narcan to gas stations, bars and libraries. State Sen. Dave Cortese is also embarking on a legislative effort to have schools across California host fentanyl-related education and awareness programs.

According to the county, 135 people died from fentanyl between January and November 2022, the latest data available. Fentanyl, an extremely potent synthetic opioid, is considered 50 times stronger than heroin and has wreaked havoc across the country for years. It is commonly found in illicit pills like Adderall and Percocet. On Monday, the county announced its first death from xylazine, a tranquilizer used on livestock animals. Narcan is not effective against xylazine, but the 36-year-old man found dead in February also had fentanyl in his bloodstream, officials with the medical examiner’s office said.

County officials said Monday that their push will serve as a fast-tracking method to get Narcan into the three library branches as quickly as possible.

“We know (Narcan) saves lives,” said Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who joined Supervisor Otto Lee on Monday afternoon in announcing the county’s efforts. “We have a continuing fentanyl crisis in the county, as well as the rest of the nation. We know it is not going away any time soon.”

Chavez and Lee intend to use state funds to obtain the Narcan supplies, though the official cost was not immediately available on Monday.

If state funding falls through, the county will try to use an annual $1.7 million that it’s currently set to receive for the next 18 years through a settlement with opioid manufacturers. While a box with two of the nasal sprays can cost up to $150, the county will be able to obtain them for $75 each.

“We’re in dire need to get Narcan into more spaces throughout our community,” said Lee.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the sale of Narcan at pharmacies across the country without a prescription. Though pharmacies in California were technically already allowed to offer the medicine without a prescription, federal regulations had prevented many from supplying it widely. Pharmacy chains like Walgreens announced shortly after the FDA’s go-ahead that they would start offering Narcan at their stores.

Along with libraries, county officials have also been spearheading efforts to get Narcan into school districts. According to a March survey by the Bay Area News Group, 27% of responding schools did not offer the medicine — though it appears progress is being made when compared to a similar survey conducted in December 2022, when 60% did not. An additional analysis by this newspaper last fall revealed that fentanyl was behind a fifth of all deaths for California youth aged 15 to 24 in 2021.

Santa Clara County supervisors will discuss Narcan supplies at libraries at Tuesday’s public meeting. Approval by the board is expected within the next two months, according to Mira Parwiz, who oversees drug prevention efforts at the county.