Opioid Use

Opioids are pain relievers including codeine, morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, Vicodin, and OxyContin. They are often used for acute pain such as after a surgery or an injury. They should be used with caution and under the close supervision of a medical provider because they can have serious side effects including decreasing or stopping breathing. Using opioids for as little as a few weeks could lead to dependence and withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued.

• Every year there are, on average, 44 deaths in Sonoma County due to accidental drug overdose.
• Annually on average, there are 476 emergency department visits for accidental drug overdose among Sonoma County residents. 
• As many as 1 in 4 people who are taking a prescription opioid long term obtained from their primary care provider struggle with physical and/or psychological dependence.

If you think you are experiencing physical and/or psychological dependence to opioids, call Sonoma County Health Services at (707) 565-7450 for substance use disorder treatment assessment and referral.

How to help someone you believe is overdosing (if you're unsure, you should still do the following):

The DO's:

• Call 911- getting help fast is very important to save a person's life
• If the person IS NOT breathing, put them on their back and begin mouth to mouth breathing, one breath every 5 seconds
• If the person IS breathing, turn them on their side because they might vomit, and you don’t want them to choke or inhale their vomit into their lungs
• Make sure to stay with the person and keep them warm

The DON'Ts:

• Never waste time
• Don’t put the person into a cold shower or ice bath because it might cause shock
• Don’t try to make the person vomit because they might choke or inhale the vomit into their lungs

For more information visit:

Sonoma County Health Department

OD Free Marin

Overdose Prevention by the CDC

National Institutes on Drug Abuse

Johns Hopkins Medicine

The Student Health Center offers federally approved opioid overdose reversal medication free of charge to currently enrolled students in alignment with California Senate Bill 367. The Student Health Center receives its Narcan (naloxone) through the California Department of Public Health’s Naloxone Grant Program. 

Students who would like free Narcan Nasal Spray may schedule a 20 minute training with the Student Health Center by telephone (707-664-2921) or through their MyHealthPortal (https://health.sonoma.edu/services/my-health-portal). The Narcan training includes what opioids are, how to recognize the signs of an overdose, and how to administer and store Narcan Nasal Spray. We encourage you to take part in this valuable training!  It could save a life…it could save a seawolf!