Santa Fe County boosts fentanyl public‑awareness contract amid sharp rise in overdoses

The Santa Fe County Board unanimously approved an amendment March 10 to continue and expand a public awareness campaign about fentanyl and overdose prevention.

Chanel Delgado of Community Services asked the board to approve Amendment No. 5 to agreement 2022‑0667‑CSD with Fire Stick Studios, increasing the contract by $70,000 to a total $350,000 and extending the term through Feb. 14, 2027. Delgado said state data show synthetic opioids including fentanyl were involved in about 65% of fatal overdoses statewide and county emergency visits related to overdose rose sharply in 2025 compared with 2024. She described a multi‑platform outreach effort emphasizing harm reduction (including “never use alone”) and naloxone access.

Commissioners asked about naloxone availability, average naloxone cost, and how the county evaluates the campaign's effectiveness. Delgado said the outreach contract covers public education and media; other county contracts and partners provide naloxone distribution and training. She said analytics (digital impressions and QR‑code scans) are tracked and that clinical measures such as naloxone administration on emergency response and ER visit trends are used as indicators, although direct attribution is difficult.

Commissioners supported continuing and expanding the outreach work and asked staff to increase messaging about naloxone and to explore evaluation partnerships with local universities and regional public‑health entities.

What happens next: The amendment passed; Community Services will continue the campaign, coordinate naloxone messaging and provide data on impressions and indicators to the board.