By Avera St. Luke’s has partnered with Emily’s Hope to make naloxone nasal spray, also known as Narcan, available to the public at no cost.
When administered in time, naloxone can reverse the overdose effects of opioids.
There’s been a distribution box inside the emergency room entrance at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital since March 18. The boxes were set up at other Avera hospitals in October, according a news the release.
Emily’s Hope, a nonprofit working to remove the stigma of substance use and addiction, provides the free naloxone kits and will keep the distribution boxes restocked. The distribution program is a collaboration involving the South Dakota Department of Health, the South Dakota Department of Social Services, the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office and local partners like Avera.
Opioids are highly addictive and generally prescribed for treatment of severe pain, but they must be used with extreme caution as they are a major contributor to fatal overdoses, per the release.
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Everybody is encouraged to carry naloxone with them, especially those who live with or know someone at risk for an overdose.
Signs of an opioid overdose include:
- Very slow or no breathing.
- Tiny eye pupils.
- Weird snoring or gurgling.
- Cold or blue skin.
- Not waking up.
- A limp body.
