Full Notification

According to Marin County’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), drug overdose has been the leading cause of accidental death in Marin for the past five years. Most of these overdoses are linked to opioids, a class of drugs that includes prescription pain medications such as Vicodin, codeine, and fentanyl, as well as heroin. In April of last year, all Central Marin Police Authority officers were trained in the use of Naloxone or NARCAN, a medication which can almost instantly reverse the effect of an opioid overdose. The NARCAN nasal spray is carried by all of our police and fire department first responders.

Prompt medical attention is critical in an overdose and we ask that you dial 9-1-1 at the first signs that someone may be overdosing or having a medical emergency. CMPA would like to remind everyone that Section 11376.5 of the California Health and Safety Code prohibits the arrest or prosecution of any person under the influence of narcotics, in possession of narcotics, or in possession of drug paraphernalia when they seek medical assistance for a person experiencing an overdose and they do not obstruct medical or law enforcement personnel.

CMPA works diligently to reduce the number of narcotics available in our community. Our most important goal is to keep narcotics and prescription medications out of the hands of our youth. To that end, we participate in the Safe Medicine Disposal Program and provide secure containers for the public to have a safe place to discard old or unused medications. Pharmaceutical waste containers are available in the front lobby of both our Larkspur and San Anselmo stations. Please go to http://www.rxsafemarin.org for more information about what is accepted and how to safely handle medication being disposed. Additional Marin drop-off locations are also listed.

RxSafe Marin recently announced a public forum on fentanyl, heroin, and other opioids to be held this week on Wednesday, September 12. A national expert in opioid use disorder will be the featured speaker at this free special public event co-hosted by the grassroots RxSafe Marin coalition, the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services, and Dominican University of California. Dr. Dan Ciccarone of the UC San Francisco School of Medicine will discuss the latest trends in the shifting opioid epidemic. The event begins at 11 a.m. at Dominican’s Angelico Hall. Afterward, panelists including Bay Area-based Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Riebli will discuss strategies to address the trends on a local scale.

Register for this free event at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-changing-face-of-the-opioid-epidemic-with-dr-dan-ciccarone-tickets-48230132625