Beginning in August 2018, Simi Valley Police Officers were authorized to administer Naloxone in emergency situations. Naloxone is a medication that reverses the effects of opioid overdose. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that binds to opioid receptors and can reverse and block the effects of other opioids. The medication is administered through the nasal passages and is similar to that of a nasal spray. Naloxone only reverses the effects of opioids such as Heroin, Morphine, Methadone, Oxycontin, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, and Fentanyl. It does not reverse the effects of any other drugs. 

During the first six months of 2018, the Ventura County Emergency Services Agency and Project Safer trained Simi Valley Police Officers on how to administer Naloxone. The training topics included:

• Identifying the characteristics of an opioid overdose

• The steps in caring for a person who has overdosed on an opioid

• The proper method for administering intranasal Naloxone

Equipping our police officers with Naloxone was a priority because they are frequently the first to arrive on the scene of an overdose. Every second counts in an overdose and making a life-saving intervention is time-sensitive. The administration of Naloxone via nasal atomizer by law enforcement personnel has become standard in other jurisdictions within California.

Project Safer provided Simi Valley Police Department 65 two-dose Naloxone kits at no cost. The Naloxone kits are deployed in every patrol vehicle. Project Safer Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization established to provide quality education to reduce harms associated with the use of alcohol and other drugs.

According to Ventura County Emergency Services Agency, Naloxone was administered 390 times in Ventura County during 2017. It was administered 44 times in Simi Valley, which is the third highest amount for cities in Ventura County.

• CADCA - Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, Building Drug-Free Communities
• Drugs.com - Drug Information Online (including heroin)
• Narcotic Educational Foundation of America - Working Together in Providing Drug Education
• National Institute on Drug Abuse - The Science of Drug Abuse & Addiction
• KnowYourOTCs.org - Your Resource for Over-the-Counter Medicine Safety
• United States Drug Enforcement Administration - Support for Drug Prevention,  Education Programs and Enforcement

• DrugFree.org - Prevent.  Intervene.  Get Treatment.  Recover
• Stop Medicine Abuse - Parents: Learn about teen medicine abuse
• United Parents - Provides support, education, and resources for families of youth struggling with drugs, mental health, emotional, or behavioral disorders

• Overcoming Drug Addiction - Drug abuse treatment, recovery and help
• US Dept. of Health and Human Services - Substance abuse treatment facility locator
• County of Ventura Drug and Alcohol Programs - In-patient and out-patient drug rehabilitation treatment and counseling services
• Free Clinic of Simi Valley - Free counseling services for various issues
• Narcotics Anonymous - Free addiction support group, multiple locations
• Alanon -  Free support group for family or friends of those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction
• Teen Challenge - Free residential drug rehabilitation program for age 18 and above (Ventura, CA but SV residents eligible)

• Task Force on Heroin Prevention - The City of Simi Valley, RSRPD, SVUSD, Chamber of Commerce, Not One More  and the faith community join to combat heroin use
• Interface Children and Family Services 2-1-1 hotline - Resource referral services
• Parent Project/Loving Solutions/Teen Project - (Simi Valley Police Department, Moorpark Unified School District) - Free parenting class, free teen personal and social responsibility class
• Prescription Drug Drop Off - Dispose of your prescription drugs anonymously and conveniently
• Ventura County Opioid Abuse Suppression Task Force - County response to the opioid epidemic including statistical dashboard

Over the course of its six meetings held in 2012, the Task Force on Heroin Prevention developed a coordinated, comprehensive community plan inclusive of strategies to prevent the abuse of heroin in Simi Valley. Strategies to combat the use of heroin were developed by the Task Force for implementation.  These recommended strategies were reviewed by Task Force representatives from the City of Simi Valley, the Simi Valley Unified School District, and the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District and presented in a staff report to the Task Force.

As a result of this review, a final report was developed that summarized the activities of the Task Force.  This final report, Simi Valley Task Force on Heroin Prevention Summary Report, documents the Task Force's strategies to be employed and the agency responsible for implementation of the strategy.

The Task Force on Heroin Prevention is comprised of two representatives each from the Simi Valley City Council, the Simi Valley Unified School District Board of Education, the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District Board of Directors, Not One More and the faith community, in addition to one representative from the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The prevention of heroin abuse is the responsibility of the entire community, and public involvement remains crucial. To get involved or get more information, please contact HeroinPrevention@simivalley.org.