Press Conference

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

12:15 p.m.

Santa Ynez Marriott

555 Mc Murray Road,

Buellton, Ca. 93427

Sheriff Brown will publicly announce the launch of Project Opioid Santa Barbara County during a press conference on Wednesday May 18, 2022, at 12:15 p.m. at the Santa Ynez Marriott. Project Opioid empowers leaders to confront the overdose crisis by aligning around one shared goal: to reduce opioid deaths in their communities. Project Opioid educates leaders on how to build a coalition, launch a regional overdose initiative, and promote high level advocacy to transform and save the greatest number of lives in their communities. Project Opioid Santa Barbara County has brought together key area leaders to conduct an assessment of existing community resources and develop meaningful solutions to reduce the impact of the overdose crisis.

This press conference will feature the release of a report title “The Changing Overdose Crisis in California: A Community Needs Assessment of Santa Barbara County”. The report has four key findings:

1. Fatal overdoses are rising at an unprecedented rate in the State of California, and in Santa Barbara County.
2. Fentanyl has changed the game in California and is fueling the overdose epidemic in our community.
3. Santa Barbara residents who overdose are taking mixed illicit drugs, most combined with fentanyl, either knowingly or unknowingly.
4. Overdose deaths are highest amongst whites but are growing at a higher rate among the Hispanic community in Santa Barbara County.

Members of the media are asked to RSVP to Raquel Zick at pio@sbsheriff.org and to arrive by 12:00 p.m. to set up. Interview opportunities will be available to media at the conclusion of the ceremony.