A brand new merchandising machine at Peer Kent.
With the specter of deadly overdose from fentanyl, we would like everybody in King County to have entry to instruments to assist scale back the chance of overdose in our neighborhood. Naloxone, to reverse an overdose, and fentanyl check strips are two of a very powerful instruments to assist stop deadly overdoses.
Prior to now 12 months, King County has been working with neighborhood organizations to develop entry to each instruments—ensuing within the distribution of greater than 100,000 fentanyl check strips and greater than 13,000 naloxone kits. As a part of this outreach effort, Public Well being is working to scale back overdose prevention provides by not solely ordering on-line, however putting provides in simply accessible merchandising machines.
A number of months into this system, we are able to see how decreasing boundaries to hurt discount affords could be a technique to have interaction individuals prone to overdose and join them with help suppliers.
About merchandising machines
In April 2022, Public Well being labored with a area people organisation; Equal Washington What works Equal to Seattle And Pear Kent will place merchandising machines at their areas to supply entry to free, confidential overdose prevention provides and assets. Peer offers secure, welcoming areas for individuals to seek out help and well being assets. The merchandising machines are stocked with naloxone, fentanyl check strips, in addition to condoms and different secure intercourse provides.
“There’s something particular about having the ability to present quick life-saving medicine free of charge. Our members face lengthy journeys to restoration or housing and employment, so offering a useful resource that gives quick aid goes a great distance. Shannon French, volunteer at Peer Seattle.
From April 2022:
- Greater than 4,000 fentanyl detectors had been distributed via the merchandising machines.
- Greater than 1,000 naloxone kits had been distributed via the merchandising machines.
- Danger of drug overdose in King CountyThe websites in each Seattle and South King County assist scale back geographic boundaries to hurt discount gear.
Entry to individuals who beforehand had no entry
Along with testing as a instrument to tell neighborhood members about what may occur in a specific drug, distributing fentanyl check strips and naloxone in merchandising machines offers a chance to have interaction individuals in dialog to scale back threat and join individuals to assets. Info on get care and therapy.
Preliminary findings from the primary six months of this program present that almost 40% of people that use the merchandising machines haven’t acquired naloxone earlier than — which means we’re reaching loads of new individuals.
For instance, an worker from Pear Kent shared the story of a pair who got here to Pear for fortune.
“They sat within the foyer and noticed a Narcan machine and we began speaking about how their lives had modified since they switched from utilizing heroin to fentanyl. I perceive that neither of them has ever used naloxone earlier than. I walked them via getting the equipment and confirmed them use naloxone. A number of weeks later, the lady got here in to see me and knowledgeable me that she had used Narcan on her vital different and saved his life from an overdose. Following his hospitalization, each underwent detox and had been lately launched.”
Sources for Discovering Naloxone and Fentanyl Check Kits in King County
Order naloxone on-line:
- In case you are a resident of King County, Order on-line Free naloxone shipped to any tackle. It arrives in a transparent packaging to guard your privateness.
- In case you are a Washington state resident with a mailing tackle outdoors of King County; Use this on-line order kind. You can even discover it close to you Naloxone detector.
- If you need to obtain coaching to manage Narcan in an overdose emergency, you’ll be able to study coaching choices right here www.stopoverdose.org
Order informational supplies and fentanyl checks from Public Well being over right here.
Initially printed on 4/13/2023.
We give you some web site instruments and help to get the greatest end in every day life by taking benefit of straightforward experiences