Adding Naloxone to Your First Aid Kit

This month has brought some of the first good news regarding opioid overdoses in years: deaths are down more than 10 percent nationally, with an even steeper drop in some regions.

Drug overdoses have taken a serious toll on the US, contributing to more than 100,000 deaths each year from 2021 to 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control’s National Vital Statistics System. And since 2017, a significant number of overdose deaths have involved synthetic opioids, most commonly fentanyl—in 2022, fentanyl was involved in 68 percent of overdose deaths. Looking at almost any graph representing these statistics for the past decade-plus shows an astonishing—and tragic—spike in the past five years.

So, seeing a significant drop in overdose deaths so far this year is a welcomed change to the trend. While nothing is certain yet, public health officials and researchers are crediting the widespread availability of naloxone, along with public health responses and opioid overdose awareness campaigns, as a major factor. Naloxone is a medication that attaches to the body’s opioid receptors and quickly blocks their effects. Opioids are central and peripheral nervous system depressants which, when taken in too high of a dose, can lead to a respiratory depression. If the body’s respiratory rate becomes too low, the patient will suffer from hypoxia, and eventually cardiac arrest. As a narcotic antagonist, naloxone displaces the opioid on the body’s neurotransmitters, effectively reversing an opioid overdose within two to three minutes of delivery. 

While naloxone is the name of the generic medication, it is also commonly referred to as Narcan, which is the brand name of a nasal spray containing 4 milligrams of naloxone. The nasal spray can easily and quickly be administered to anyone experiencing an opioid overdose, and typically works within two to three minutes. Furthermore, there are no adverse effects if the person is not experiencing an opioid overdose. Because of this, naloxone is now considered a staple in first aid kits. Additionally, many states have led public health initiatives to ensure naloxone is available to anyone who could potentially use it, including those who use opioids, their friends and family, and community members. Please remember, if you ever use naloxone for someone experiencing an opioid overdose, you need to call 911 immediately afterward.

So, how can you add Narcan to your first aid kit—or to keep anywhere you might be likely to use it most—at no charge? Well, it depends where you live.

Washington State

Thanks to The People's Harm Reduction Alliance, Washington State residents are eligible to receive free naloxone through the mail. All you have to do is fill out the form linked on their website, where you can choose between Narcan nasal spray (2 doses) and the injectable naloxone kit (4 doses). The program does note: “This mail order program is meant for people who can't easily go to a community organization or a pharmacy to get a kit. Please, one order per person a month. This mail order program is intended for individual residents; no schools, businesses, organizations, or institutions.” Naloxone is also available for free without a prescription at pharmacies for those who have Medicaid/Washington Apple Health insurance. You can go to Stopoverdose.org to find locations with naloxone near you. The People's Harm Reduction Alliance also has a great FAQ section on their website.

California

California’s Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP) was created to provide free naloxone to qualifying organizations including first responders, health services, community organizations, local agencies, schools and universities, tribal entities, and many others. Through the NDP, approved entities will be provided with either generic naloxone nasal spray, or brand-name Narcan nasal spray. You can apply through the online NDP online application form. The NDP is operated by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) which also provides free fentanyl test strips as well as many other services. See the NDP’s list of frequently asked questions here.

For other states, check out https://nextdistro.org/naloxone