St. Clair County issued the following announcement on Aug. 18.
In recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day, the St. Clair County Health Department is providing free, NARCAN® kits through August 31.
Individuals 18 or older can visit the Health Department during regular business hours and pick up a free kit, anonymously, without a prescription, insurance or identification. Kits will include two doses of NARCAN®, a mouth shield, gloves, and written resources. International Overdose Awareness Day is recognized globally on August 31 to raise awareness about the risks of overdosing; honor the individuals whose lives have been lost; acknowledge the grief felt by families, friends, and the community; and work to challenge the stigma associated with substance use disorders and overdosing. The State of Michigan had over 2,354 overdose deaths in 2019.
More than seventy-five percent of those deaths were from opioid overdose. Preliminary data indicates these numbers increased in 2020. Opioid overdose, in many cases, is a preventable cause of death. One way to combat overdose is to increase access to life-saving Naloxone. NARCAN® (Naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray is the first FDAapproved nasal form of Naloxone, used for emergency treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose.
Anyone with an opioid prescription or knows someone who uses opioids should keep NARCAN® on hand and make sure friends and family know the signs of an overdose. Funding for the Health Department’s Naloxone program is provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Region 10 PIHP
Original source can be found here.