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Little metal stands, reminiscent of newspaper boxes or Little Free Libraries, have been stationed across San Benito County. There’s one just outside San Juan Bautista’s library, one inside the Community FoodBank, and a few carefully placed around downtown Hollister. Instead of books or newspapers, they’re filled with naloxone— medication that can reverse an overdose and save a life—as well as fentanyl test kits.
(Find a list of locations at the bottom of this article.)
Naloxone (often recognized by a brand name, Narcan) is a nasal spray that, according to the San Benito County Opioid Task Force, “quickly reverses an opioid overdose by temporarily blocking the effects of opioids in the body.”
The boxes were set up last year and are managed through the Opioid Task Force with the help of the host locations. Esperanza Center, for example, keeps an eye on its box and, when they’re running low on naloxone or test kits, gets supplies from the Opioid Task Force.
A mini-grant from the California Overdose Prevention Network (COPN) allowed the task force to set up the boxes. The naloxone itself is provided free to the task force by the state of California.
“Some people were not happy that we had it because they felt that it drew people to the community that they didn’t necessarily want in their backyard,” Rochelle Eagen, the San Juan Library Tech Lead, said. “But we reminded them that it saves lives. And we’ve had patrons that have lost family members due to an opioid overdose, so we are fully supportive.”
How it works
With straightforward directions on the back of each naloxone box, anyone can use them. Though training isn’t necessary, the San Benito County Opioid Task Force offers free training that gives insights to overdoses and information on fentanyl.
“You can’t cause harm with naloxone,” Mary White, pharmacist at San Benito County Public Health, said. “It doesn’t have any other job. So if you were to give it to somebody who overdosed on something else—not an opioid—or maybe had a heart attack and it wasn’t at all drug related…you can’t hurt them. It just would have zero effect.”
If you suspect an overdose, calling 911 and providing naloxone is the best first step. Keep in mind, administering the medication in an emergency is covered under The Good Samaritan Law in California, which means there is no legal risk in your intervention within reason.
To learn more about how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose, see the California Department of Public Health naloxone page.
Fentanyl
Beginning around 2020, a synthetic opioid which is now sadly common arrived in the area.
“When fentanyl came into the picture, that’s where things really changed,” White said. The county responded in 2024 with this effort to make naloxone accessible to communities.
According to the Opioid Task Force, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine-based narcotics, and “is involved in more American youth drug deaths than heroin, meth, cocaine, benzos, and Rx drugs combined.”
Fentanyl is often mixed into illicit drugs. The test kits available in the distribution boxes can be used to determine whether a street drug is free of fentanyl.
The future
Public health officials report that naloxone saves lives.
“2024 represented an almost 30% decrease in the number of deaths due to overdose,” White said. “We haven’t seen a decrease since before 2020.”
In the same year, the Opioid Task Force distributed nearly 5,000 doses of naloxone in San Benito County through several outlets including the distribution boxes. White attributes this dip in overdoses in cumulative efforts including the accessibility of naloxone, awareness and education, and law enforcement’s effort on seizing fentanyl.
“So we hope,” White said “That [dip] stays and it’s not just a blip.”
Naloxone Distribution Box locations:
- Youth Recovery Connections – 721 Monterey St Hollister, CA 95023
- Sun Street Centers – 335 6th Street, Hollister, CA 95023
- Community FoodBank of San Benito – 1133 San Felipe Rd, Hollister, CA 95023
- Carl Martin Luck Memorial Library – 801 2nd St, San Juan Bautista, CA 95045
- Esperanza Center – 544 San Benito Street, Suite 102, Hollister
- Gavilan College… coming soon!
- 365 4th St, Hollister, CA 95023
- 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd, Gilroy, CA 95020
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