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By: Ashley Valvano

Per CDC reports, more than 107,000 Americans died from overdoses in the last year. Narcan (Naloxone) is a potentially life-saving medication designed to help reverse the effects of an opiate overdose. This medication comes as a nasal spray and is easily carried and administered. It works by blocking the opiate receptors in your brain. Because the potency of illicit synthetic narcotics is so strong, such as Fentanyl, it often takes more that one kit to reverse an overdose. It is important to note that if the client is not overdosed from an opiate, the Narcan spray will not harm them.

Narcan is available free of charge at DLC and is available to any individual in the community! Education is provided about Narcan through a short 7-minute video and educational handouts.

Though there are many examples of the “positive effects of having Narcan to dispense,” I would like to share a specific example. We have a client ​that we have gotten to know very well over the years. She has over 90 episodes of care with DLC since 2013. This client has co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder diagnoses, as well as a long history of trauma. She had limited to no coping skills when we first engaged her in treatment. She had limited impulse control and relapsed multiple times over the years. Recently, she overdosed on Fentanyl and was revived with a Narcan kit given to her on her last detox admission. Since this incident, the client made the decision to put all her energy into her mental health and substance use disorder treatment. She is currently thriving in a long-term residential treatment program. She calls us every week to let us know how she is doing. She is so grateful to be alive today and knows she would not be without DLC and the Narcan kit we provided her.