Exploring Disparities in Access to Resources for Fentanyl Overdose in Los Angeles

Exploring Disparities in Access to Resources for Fentanyl Overdose in Los Angeles | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Exploring Disparities in Access to Resources for Fentanyl Overdose in Los Angeles Mintesnot Woldeamanuel, Samere Bhatt, Kevin Olivar martinez This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9630682/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 2 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Fentanyl is a highly potent, synthetic FDA-approved opiate. In recent years, fentanyl has caused an increasing number of deaths, deeming it the “third wave” of the opioid crisis. In Los Angeles County, accidental fentanyl overdose deaths increased by over one thousand percent from 2016 to 2022. Fentanyl overdose can be reversed with a nasal spray called Naloxone, and timely access to emergency services. This research aims to determine which communities in Los Angeles have the least access to Naloxone and emergency services, in order to propose locations for new overdose prevention response centers. Geospatial and quantitative analysis are used to highlight the relationship between emergency service centers and demographic groups. The findings indicated that access to resources was limited in areas that were predominantly Black, had younger median ages, and lower population densities. Southern Los Angeles and the eastern San Fernando Valley were identified as ideal locations for additional services. Strengthening existing harm reduction networks around these regions, as well as retrofitting emergency services to have harm reduction components would increase the impact of these new centers. fentanyl Naloxone community health disparity. harm reduction centers emergency services Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editor assigned by journal 06 May, 2026 First submitted to journal 06 May, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9630682","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":635652049,"identity":"bf996044-c4d5-46bb-a287-52fb6733d042","order_by":0,"name":"Mintesnot Woldeamanuel","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5291-0602","institution":"California State University Northridge","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mintesnot","middleName":"","lastName":"Woldeamanuel","suffix":""},{"id":635652050,"identity":"591b32cf-4d72-476a-b7d7-937fa3a394b0","order_by":1,"name":"Samere Bhatt","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"California State University Northridge","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Samere","middleName":"","lastName":"Bhatt","suffix":""},{"id":635652051,"identity":"b9a4b9a6-4ff5-463a-8c98-176e57bb09e7","order_by":2,"name":"Kevin Olivar martinez","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"California State University Northridge","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kevin","middleName":"Olivar","lastName":"martinez","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-05-06 12:36:26","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9630682/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9630682/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":109328036,"identity":"6ecb5c2d-0d7a-4629-a206-d0af1bf7db28","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-15 15:21:27","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1293128,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ResearchPaper05272025V3.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9630682/v1_covered_c045aa87-5a38-4f51-8c56-6161daddb8f3.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Exploring Disparities in Access to Resources for Fentanyl Overdose in Los Angeles","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"journal-of-urban-health","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"jurh","sideBox":"Learn more about [Journal of Urban Health](https://www.springer.com/journal/11524)","snPcode":"11524","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/jurh","title":"Journal of Urban Health","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"fentanyl, Naloxone, community health, disparity. harm reduction centers, emergency services","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9630682/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9630682/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eFentanyl is a highly potent, synthetic FDA-approved opiate. 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Strengthening existing harm reduction networks around these regions, as well as retrofitting emergency services to have harm reduction components would increase the impact of these new centers.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Exploring Disparities in Access to Resources for Fentanyl Overdose in Los Angeles","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-05-15 15:21:19","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9630682/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-05-06T15:57:02+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Journal of Urban Health","date":"2026-05-06T08:32:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"journal-of-urban-health","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"jurh","sideBox":"Learn more about [Journal of Urban Health](https://www.springer.com/journal/11524)","snPcode":"11524","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/jurh","title":"Journal of Urban Health","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"9dc0a056-f5c3-41d9-aa1c-93244187f970","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 15th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-05-06T15:57:02+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Journal of Urban Health","date":"2026-05-06T08:32:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-15T15:21:19+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-05-15 15:21:19","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9630682","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9630682","identity":"rs-9630682","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}