Ventura County public health urges Port Hueneme to expand naloxone access after local rise in opioid deaths

Ventura County Public Health officials told the Port Hueneme City Council on Sept. 2 that the county is intensifying efforts to reduce opioid deaths and urged the city to promote naloxone distribution and training. Shane Mazurve, program administrator for Ventura County Public Health's opioid overdose prevention program, said the county's COAST initiative works with law enforcement, treatment centers, the jail and community organizations to educate residents and supply naloxone kits.

Mazurve said, "Naloxone is the medication name and Narcan is the brand name," and described naloxone's role in reversing opioid overdoses, stressing that the medication is effective only for opioid overdoses and is safe to give when the presence of opioids is uncertain. He told council members that in Port Hueneme seven residents died from opioid overdoses in 2024, three more than in 2023, and that the county peaked at 289 opioid overdose deaths in 2021.

Dr. Odeen Costell, Ventura County health officer, joined the presentation and officials described fentanyl as widespread in the illicit drug supply. County staff said about 80% of illicit drugs found locally contain fentanyl, and that fentanyl is roughly "50 to 100 times more potent than morphine." Brad Friday, COAST administrator at Ventura County Behavioral Health, explained how fentanyl is mixed into other drugs and why that increases overdose risk.

County staff outlined services available to local governments and communities: free training for residents and prescribers, distribution of naloxone kits, institutional kits for agencies, harm-reduction tools such as fentanyl test strips, and wall-mounted dispensers that hold roughly 40'45 boxes of naloxone (each box typically contains two doses). Mazurve said the county had placed about 42 wall dispensers across Ventura County and had distributed more than 4,600 boxes of naloxone so far this year. He said Port Hueneme currently has one public dispenser at the city library.

Officials described practical points for responders and bystanders: naloxone can briefly reverse an overdose but may wear off in 30 to 90 minutes, so calling 911 remains critical after administering a dose. They also said naloxone does not harm a person who does not have opioids in their system and that California allows people aged 12 and older to possess naloxone.

Council members asked about causes-of-death determinations, collaboration with prescribers, and whether fentanyl can appear in marijuana; county staff described how medical examiners and toxicology inform cause-of-death findings, highlighted prescriber education available through COAST, and said marijuana contamination with fentanyl is possible but uncommon and that smoking temperatures reduce fentanyl's effect in many cases.

Council members and staff discussed next steps, including inviting county staff to future community events and offering city locations for dispensers or presentations. Mazurve offered training and said public-health representatives would help place more dispensers and provide materials for local distribution.