GREENVILLE—The Darke County General Health District is offering free Narcan to certain residents.
“We ask anyone who’s interested in receiving Narcan, come and get it from us,” Darke County Health Commissioner Jordan Francis said. “Obviously it’s a harm-reduction tactic. It can be a lifesaving medicine when used appropriately.”
With funds from Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone), the health district is able to give free narcan to residents who have:
- Previous opioid intoxication or overdose
- History of nonmedical opioid use
- Initiation or cessation of methadone or buprenorphine
- High opioid prescription
Although Francis said if a citizen who felt they needed narcan came to them, they wouldn’t turn them down.
When citizens receive their Narcan, they will be instructed on how to use it.
“When you come in to pick it up, you’ll meet with me,” Director of Nursing Emily Hoisington said. “I’ll go over kind of the education piece behind how to administer it and how to use it.”
In addition, the county provides Narcan to first responders throughout the county.
“It’s a really simple intervention that can lead to saving a lot of people’s lives,” Francis said. “Something as simple as administering nasal spray can bring someone back from the brink of death. I think it’s an incredibly powerful tool.”
If anyone is interested in receiving free Narcan, you can call Hoisington at 937-548-4196 Ext. 235, or stop by the Darke County Health District.
Project DAWN is named in memory of Leslie Dawn Cooper, who struggled with substance use disorder for many years before dying from a witnessed opioid overdose on Oct. 3, 2009. The first Project DAWN site was established in Leslie’s hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio, in 2012.
Since then, Project DAWN has expanded to a collective of more than 380 naloxone distribution sites that cover around 77 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
