It kills more Kentuckians every year than diabetes. More than homicides. More than firearm injuries. Across the nation, the opioid epidemic has seen a significant rise in addiction and overdoses, and Kentucky has been one of the most affected states.
The Calloway County Health Department and the Calloway County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention have placed Narcan boxes around the community in the hopes that local lives can be saved from an overdose.
Naloxone, commonly known by its original brand name Narcan, is a potentially life saving drug that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. If a person’s breathing has slowed or stopped during an opioid overdose, naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. By attaching to opioid receptors once inside the body, naloxone is able to both block and reverse opioid effects.
Noah Cunningham, Calloway County Health Department nurse, said he believes the Narcan in these boxes can save lives in the community.
“If somebody had the Narcan and witnessed an overdose or was with somebody that was overdosing, (they could give it to them),” Cunningham said. “Say you didn’t have the Narcan, you’d have to call the ambulance and you don’t know if they are going to make it until the ambulance gets there to give the Narcan to them.”
The NIH advises family and friends of those struggling with opioid addiction to carry naloxone.
While Narcan can be bought over the counter, the price can be an obstacle for those looking to have some on hand. Narcan can cost over $50 for two 4mg sprays.
Cunningham said the Narcan boxes placed around town are meant to ensure price is never a barrier for those needing access to the life-saving drug.
“It’s just really beneficial for people that can’t afford it,” Cunningham said. “This provides it for free for anybody that is in need of Narcan, whether they take an opioid medication that is prescribed or if they do use fentanyl or any other opioids that are illegal, just in case they were to have an overdose. … So that’s kind of what it’s meant for, for anybody that needs it.”
Cunningham said instructions on how to administer the Narcan are included in the box. Naloxone can be given to a person via nasal spray or injection.
According to the State Health Access Data Assistance Center, the opioid epidemic in the US began in the 1990s, triggered by the increase in opioid painkiller prescriptions. This epidemic accelerated with rising heroin-caused deaths in 2011 and rising fentanyl-caused deaths in 2014. According to non-profit KFF, the state of Kentucky had the sixth highest opioid overdose death rate in 2022.
The Calloway County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention seeks to raise awareness about this issue. Their mission is to “Develop a data driven, community strategy to reduce the incidence of substance abuse among youth and adults by utilizing research-based principles in prevention, intervention and treatment through community collaboration.”
According to their website, there is also Nacan available by the front desks of all Murray State residence halls.
Their Facebook page includes helpful resources such as information on better understanding drugs and announcements for upcoming substance abuse prevention meetings.
Between the alliance and the Calloway County Health Department, there are six Narcan boxes open to anyone throughout the town of Murray. Cunningham said community members have been utilizing the recourse.
“People are (taking advantage of the boxes),” Cunningham said. “I go out every Wednesday and I fill them up if they need to be filled up. But yeah, we do have people that get the boxes for sure.”
Locations of the Narcan boxes around town can be found at findnaloxone.ky.gov.
“Naloxone has … helped save people,” said writer Eric Berger in an article for The Guardian. “There was a 14% decrease in opioid-overdose mortality in states that enacted laws that made it easier for laypeople to access naloxone and protected people reporting overdoses from being arrested…”
Cunningham said he hopes community members will continue to take advantage of this life-saving recourse.
“This is a free thing that we’re providing to the community,” Cunningham said. “You don’t necessarily have to use drugs to get the Narcan. It’s just good to have if you encounter somebody or you know somebody that does use opioids. And like I said, it’s free. You can go and get a box of it, and if you ever need it, you’ve got it.”
