"The numbers have come down significantly, said Taylor at the Dec. 4 meeting. The deaths skewed largely toward men, who accounted for 47 of total accidental decedents so far in 2025, while 10 were women. When broken down by race, 34 of the individuals who died were white, 16 were Hispanic, four were Black and three were listed as other."
"The pockets across the county where most of the overdoses occurred remained mostly unchanged from 2024 to 2025, Taylor reported. Santa Cruz was an especially high frequency overdose location, but other hotspots included Watsonville, Aptos, Capitola and Boulder Creek. The density of overdoses slightly worsened in Watsonville, and Capitola was listed as a higher frequency location compared to last year. Taylor said opioid drugs, including fentanyl, continue to make up the majority of overdose cases."
Santa Cruz County experienced 57 accidental drug-related overdose deaths from January through November 2025, down from 77 in 2024 and 133 in 2023. Public health officials convened online for the fifth annual presentation on local drug trends organized by SafeRx Santa Cruz County and the Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County. Accidental deaths skewed male (47 men, 10 women). Racial breakdown included 34 white, 16 Hispanic, four Black and three other. Most overdoses occurred in the 40–49 age bracket. Seventeen decedents were housed and nine were unhoused. Hotspots included Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Aptos, Capitola and Boulder Creek. Fentanyl-related deaths peaked at 106 in 2023, fell to 60 in 2024, and were 38 through November 2025.
Read at www.santacruzsentinel.com
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