Naloxone and Fentanyl Test Strips are available anonymously and AT NO COST through Gauchos for Recovery peer interns.
Naloxone (brand name Narcan) is a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses.
Fentanyl Test Strips are a tool to identify the presence of fentanyl in unregulated drugs.
Overdose kit pickup hours Winter 2023
Embarcadero Hall Room 1105
Mondays 2-5
Tuesdays 12-2, 3-5
Wednesdays 12:30-2:30
Thursdays 10:30-2, 3-5
Fridays 9:30-1:30, 2-4
Saturdays 10:30-12:30
Sundays 12-3
You can also follow GFR on Instagram for additional pickup times and distribution events.
@gauchos_for_recovery
Can't come at these times? Email us at ucsbgfr@gmail.com. Note that this schedule changes during finals week and university closures. Email hugh_cook@ucsb.edu or message @gauchos_for_recovery on instagram for up-to-date closure information.
GFR peer interns have regular drop-in hours for pick up of Overdose Prevention Kits, which include both Narcan and Fentanyl Test Strips. We give one kit per person and cannot give out large quantities to individuals. We are available to do group trainings if you are interested in getting kits for members of your organization. Please email us at ucsbgfr@gmail.com to request a group training.
Other ways to get Narcan/Fentanyl Test Strips in Santa Barbara:
Pacific Pride Foundation offers free Narcan and Fentanyl Test Strips. Distributions are every other Tuesday at Carrillo/Castillo parking lot from 10am – 1pm and every other Friday in Isla Vista at the Community Room - 970 Embarcadero Del Mar. It is also available at their Santa Barbara office. For more info, visit their website.
Cottage Hospital has Narcan kits available to the public 24 hrs/day in the Emergency Department at the Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Santa Ynez Valley locations.
Additional options can be found on the SB County website Fentanyl is Forever.
How To Get Naloxone/Fentanyl Test Strips if you are not in the UCSB Area:
Look up your local Syringe Exchange and inquire with them. Find a list of syringe exchange programs in California here.
Ask your primary care doctor for a third-party prescription of Naloxone (cost of rx will depend on insurance coverage).
Contact your local drug store (national chains like CVS and Walgreens may be able to give out Naloxone without a prescription, but practices vary by store, and cost will depend on your insurance coverage).
If you or your friends use substances, there are steps you can take to avoid overdose and prevent overdose death.
Fentanyl Test Strips Instructions
Rates of death from drug overdose are rising dramatically, with 107,000 Americans dying in the year 2021. Comparatively, in 2016 60,000 Americans died from drug overdoses. College students are a high-risk population for dangerous drug use and combination drug use. Opioids are present in the majority of drug overdoses. Opioids cause death by inducing fatal respiratory depression which can easily be reversed by administering naloxone. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist (blocker) which rapidly counteracts the effects of opioids and has saved countless lives. In the first eight months that the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office equipped all its deputies with naloxone, the Isla Vista Foot Patrol completed eight overdose reversals using naloxone, according to the department. Multiple UCSB students have been revived with naloxone during this academic year. The opioid epidemic has reached UCSB and Isla Vista.
Naloxone is not a controlled substance and cannot be misused. It will not have any effect if the person to whom it is administered has not used opioids. Naloxone is available in several formulations that are conducive to layperson administration, including intramuscular and intranasal devices. Overdose response training is strongly recommended for potential overdose responders to ensure that they can identify common symptoms of an opioid overdose, administer naloxone, and provide supportive care. Laypersons can be trained in as little as 20 minutes.
Laypersons are exempt from civil or criminal liability if they have received brief training and act “with reasonable care and in good faith” in administering naloxone to someone who is experiencing or is suspected to be experiencing an overdose (AB 635, CA, 2013)