Local drug overdose rates fell by approximately 38 percent between 2023 and 2024, according to the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). | Chart: DHHS.
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New data from the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Public Health Branch shows a significant decrease in opioid overdose deaths over the last two years — the lowest numbers reported since 2020.
During a biennial update on the county’s syringe exchange program at Tuesday’s Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting, Public Health Officer Dr. Candy Stockton largely attributed the decrease in local overdose deaths to increased access to overdose-reversing drugs like naloxone, commonly referred to by the brand name Narcan.
“Our participants have reported nearly 280 overdose reversals in the last year,” Stockton said. “It’s actually critically important if you think about the total number of deaths that we had in Humboldt County from overdoses last year was about 50, [and] looking at how much higher that would have been without the overdose reversals that we had as a result of our naloxone distribution.”
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office reported 32 drug overdose deaths in 2020, which ticked up to 53 in 2021. In that same time period, fentanyl overdose deaths increased by 377 percent — jumping from nine in 2020 to 34 in 2021 — launching Humboldt into a fentanyl epidemic. There were over 80 local drug overdose deaths reported in 2022, as seen in the chart above, but that number steadily declined in 2023 and 2024.
“Our overdose death rates have been decreasing slowly over the last three years, but we are still losing 50 of our friends, family members and community members to overdose,” Stockton continued. “The numbers for this year look on track to be at that same level or slightly higher this year. This overdose prevention work remains critically important in our community.”
Stockton also reported a “drastic decrease” in the local hepatitis C rates over the last five years, something she attributed, in part, to local syringe exchange programs.
“The combination of both being able to treat and cure hepatitis C and slowing the spread among individuals who are infected has really helped us as a community combat this serious illness,” Stockton said. “[These programs] help reduce the incidence of HIV and hepatitis C transmission, as well as helping to reduce overdose deaths in people who use drugs.”
“[There is] lots and lots of data going back, showing that [syringe exchange programs] do not increase drug use, as is sometimes a concern for people,” she continued. “We also know that areas that have active syringe service programs across the country have actually lower incidence of syringe litter in their community, lower incidence of needle stick injuries for law enforcement officers, and decreased crime levels compared to areas that do not have those programs.”
Following staff’s presentation, Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone acknowledged that “we’ve all been touched in our families by addiction and these drugs in one way or another,” and thanked DHHS for their work.”
“I think the data does show that [these programs are] having a positive effect,” he added. “We’re not Portugal, so we don’t have heroin shops and other kinds of things. We don’t hand out drugs; we hand out equipment to try and make things safer. I mean, there’s some interesting data in countries like Portugal and other places that have taken it to a whole ‘nother level further, but we don’t do that in America.”
First District Supervisor Rex Bohn was more skeptical.
“I appreciate the work you’re doing … [and] I’m just an old man looking here, but we’re going to give away smoking supplies in the unincorporated community so they can smoke an illegal product, but we’re not doing any more tobacco licenses?” he asked rhetorically. “But as we move forward with the fentanyl use, a lot of that is going to be enforcement. … If they can’t get the product, maybe they’re going to think about coming in and getting help with that.”
Similarly, Board Chair Michelle Bushnell said she hasn’t been “greatly supportive” of needle exchange programs in the past, due to concerns over monitoring and lenient parameters.
“It’s not that I don’t agree with the process or the concept, I just wanted some more — I guess more? I don’t know what the word is — I wanted it to be monitored more,” she said. “I do appreciate the work, and I do recognize that the drug overdoses have gone from injectables to more pill form now, which is unfortunate, and hopefully someday we can find solutions for that as well.”
Supervisors Natalie Arroyo and Mike Wilson both expressed support for the program, with Wilson making a motion to approve and file the report. The motion passed in a 5-0 vote.
Staff’s full presentation can be found at this link.
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