COVINGTON, La. (AP) - A Louisiana parish is providing citizens with free kits with two doses of a rescue injection for people who have overdosed on an opioid.
The parish government and coroner’s office made the naloxone kits available Thursday at fire stations throughout the parish north of New Orleans at Florida Parishes Human Services Authority offices, St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper said Thursday.
The agencies obtained 1,980 kits of the drug, brand-named Narcan, with $195,000 from a Bureau of Justice Administration grant, Cooper said in a statement.
“While Narcan is not a solution to addiction, it does offer citizens a second chance to save their loved one’s life, to start them on the path to recovery through treatment,” he said.
The kits include administration instructions, and the drug is good for three years. Officials stress that people who administer Narcan to an overdose victim should also immediately call 911 to seek medical attention for the person.
Louisiana’s Good Samaritan Law protects people who seek emergency help during an overdose, even if they are also using an illegal drug when they call, the statement said.
The news release said the kits are free and no questions are asked. Citizens will be asked to sign a waiver indicating they received instructions on how to administer the drug.
Cooper said the Narcan give-away is the start of a two-part initiative against opioid abuse. He said Phase II plans will be announced in coming months.
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