Groups to hand out free naloxone during Friday community events

Friday is National Naloxone Awareness Day.

Naloxone is a life saving medication that can reverse opioid overdose. With the intent to save lives, access to Naloxone and an increase in awareness, the medication has become a national movement under the brand name, Narcan.

“Montgomery County has drastically reduced the number of overdose deaths over the last 10 years,” Megs Francis, manager of the Montgomery County Prevention Coalition said. “Our unintentional overdose death rate dropped by 40% between 2023 and 2024.”

The MCPC has organized two local events to take place on Friday. While supplies last, attendees have the opportunity to receive a free kit including Naloxone, gloves and a face mask with trainers available at both events, presenting how to use the medication.

“These are not just numbers. These are actually folks,” Sexton said. “Being willing to go out on a limb and start carrying Naloxone to be able to help them when it is presented in front of them.”

Larry Sexton, CIT Program Coordinator for Montgomery County ADAMHS, said 80% of all addiction begins with prescription medications. He noted that the epidemic is no longer caused by recreational drugs.

“It begins with prescription medication and results in folks no longer being able to get those prescriptions and having to go to the street to take care of their pain and everything,” Sexton said.

Numerous counties in Ohio have a distribution system called Project DAWN (Death Avoided with Naloxone) that provides naloxone and fentanyl test strips to the community at specific locations.

In honor of National Naloxone Awareness Day, the MCPC encourages the community to wear purple on Friday. The Montgomery County building located at 451 W. Third St. will also be lit up in a purple hue.

Members of the community who can’t attend Friday’s events at either location can request a Narcan kit at the Project DAWN website to find a nearby distribution location.

The MCPC is comprised of community leaders who promote positive mental health with a passion to prevent substance misuse. The coalition’s mission is to mobilize Montgomery County through community collaboration by implementing evidence-based prevention and preventing youth substance use.

Event locations: