Get Naloxone for Free and Help Prevent a Death
By Leanne Shelton
In response to the opioid crisis that is rapidly claiming more and more lives to overdoses, the PA State Department of Health created a state-wide initiative, Stop Overdoses in PA: Get Help Now Week, which begins Monday, December 10, 2018. During this week, naloxone will be distributed throughout the state. It is free. There are no requirements. And no ID is needed to pick up the naloxone.
Specifically in Chester County, naloxone will be distributed on Thursday, December 13 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Chester County Government Services Center on 601 Westtown Road, West Chester, Room 171 and the Chester County Public Safety Training Campus on 137 Modena Road, Coatesville.
What exactly is naloxone? Naloxone, better known as its brand name, Narcan or Evzio, is medicine that is used to quickly reverse an opioid overdose. According to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, naloxone blocks the effects of opioids on the brain and respiratory system and restores breathing within two to eight minutes. Naloxone is safe to use and only works on overdoses from opioid drugs, which are prescription pain medications and heroin.
When given in time, naloxone can save a life.
According to the Surgeon General, naloxone is increasingly being used by police officers, emergency medical technicians, and non-emergency first responders to reverse opioid overdoses.
If you or someone you know is suffering from the opioid epidemic, it is important to have naloxone on hand – at home, in your car, or on your person. The Surgeon General has said that everyone can be a first responder and can assist someone who has had an overdose. When naloxone and overdose education are available to community members, overdose deaths decrease in those communities.
There is a video on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania website explaining how to administer naloxone. The video can be viewed at this link: https://www.pa.gov/guides/opioid-epidemic/#HowtoUseNaloxone. There is also an online training available through the Get Naloxone Now website.
With this epidemic increasing at an alarming rate, it is important for our communities to be informed to help prevent more deaths and to help get people into treatment.
If you do not live in Chester County, naloxone will be available at 80 locations throughout the state. Check the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s website to find the closest location to get your free naloxone.
For more information about the opioid crisis or naloxone, contact Shoen Safety and Training. To become CPR and/or First Aid certified, register for one of the upcoming classes at this link: https://shoensafety.com/events/.
