Free naloxone distribution planned

The medication that reverses an opioid overdose will be distributed for free at a community event this week. Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, will be distributed between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts. Injury Prevention Coordinator Gary Bright said Hancock Public Health is holding the event because overdoses, fatal and nonfatal, are on the rise locally and around the state. He said the first six confirmed fatal overdoses of this year all involved fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Hancock Public Health was able to get naloxone easily to people who need it, Bright said. But there has been a "dramatic" decrease in the number of people requesting the medication since the pandemic began. The health department can also deliver naloxone to a community member's porch, or can deliver it curbside at the Hancock Public Health office. As support groups for people who have addictions shifted to an online format during the pandemic, that support has worked better for some people than others, Bright said. Some may feel less accountability or less of a connection than they did in face-to-face meetings, he said. Bright said naloxone is a good thing to have in anyone's first aid kit, "because it is so common." You never know if a neighbor has issues with addiction. And, he said, if you are prescribed opioids for pain — even if you don't think you yourself are likely to overdose — it's a good idea to keep naloxone around in case, for example, a child gets into your medicine cabinet. He said pain management doctors are encouraging this more and more. Bright said people who show up to the free naloxone distribution will be asked to fill out a one-page form that will help the health department collect demographic information. People are encouraged to give their name and address in case of a product recall, but this is optional, as are most of the other questions. Bright said health officials are trying to collect data to give to the Ohio Department of Health, which provides the grant that pays for the naloxone. People will be asked if they've ever witnessed a reversal of an overdose or helped someone be revived. Some training is involved, but Bright said anyone picking up naloxone at the event will be briefly walked through the process of using it, then given a written guide and a DVD or YouTube link for further training. He said the most important thing is that people must agree to call 911 if they witness an overdose. While naloxone does reverse the overdose, the naloxone is temporary and will eventually wear off, making it vital that the person who has overdosed receives medical attention. For more information about the event or about naloxone, call Bright at 567-250 -5151.