LA County Is Partnering With Consulates To Hand Out Narcan And Raise Opioid Awareness Among Latinos

There is no shortage of news accounts and data about the devastating effect of the opioid epidemic in California and across the nation. But there’s an overlooked demographic where the epidemic could be rapidly increasing- Latino immigrants.

Consider this: the rate of fentanyl deaths among Latinos in L.A. County jumped by 721% in just seven years, according to the county Department of Public Health. In 2016, 25 Latinos died of fentanyl overdoses. Deaths jumped to more than 550 in 2021. But we don’t know how many of those people were immigrants. Country of origin isn’t required in overdose reported data, so the true impact of the opioid epidemic on immigrant Latinos in L.A. remains nebulous.

While Mexico doesn’t have an opioid use epidemic like the U.S., overdoses in that country are increasing — particularly in border communities — and there’s a growing need for Narcan, the nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses.

A unique program run by the Department of Public Health is working to raise awareness of the risks.

Martha Hernandez, a county community health worker, circulates among consulates for Spanish-speaking nations and gives short, sharp demonstrations tailored to her audience, instructing them on how to effectively use Narcan.

“I go to five Latin consulates,” Hernandez said on a recent visit to the Mexican consulate near MacArthur Park.

“I use myself as an example. A lot of us go to our…