Free Narcan may soon be in public libraries and YMCA’s
UPDATE 10/25/18 6:19 p.m. Narcan, the drug that reverses opioid overdoses, could soon be available at every public library and YMCA in the country.
The maker of the drug, Emergent BioSolutions, says it will give two doses of the nasal spray to more than 16,000 libraries and 2,700 YMCA’s for free.
The director of Santa Cruz County Public Libraries, Suasan Nemitz, says having staffed trained to use Narcan has already been a discussion, but no decisions have been made.
“I think there is a whole set of policy questions for the community and for the staff to contemplate, and so I think we should look at it seriously, but I think a lot of people need to be involved in the decision,” says Nemitz.
She also says staff having to help someone during an overdose will put a lot of pressure on them, “I want to save lives if we can do it, but our staff are often temporary, part-time people who are moving in between library, we are incredibly short staffed right now and I think this is a big ask.”
People visiting the Santa Cruz Library had mixed reactions to the possibility.
“It says this is a place where you are free to do what you need to do, and if it’s a public place and they’re trying to find a public place to be able to do that, I mean I wouldn’t want to take my kids to the library and see somebody doing that. But if it’s necessary to save lives, do it,” says Naomi Rollins.
Another visitor, John Ryan, said it’s unfortunate that it’s come to this. “No it isn’t a good idea for libraries to hold that, but we don’t want people to die. It’s a double edge sword and it’s a sad thing what it’s all boiled down to.”
BioSolutions already offers free doses to high schools and colleges.
Opioid overdoses kill about 115 Americans every day.
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Narcan, the drug that reverses opioid overdoses, could soon be available at every public library and YMCA in the country.
The maker of the drug says it will give two doses of the nasal spray to more than 16,000 libraries and 2,700 YMCA’s for free.
They already offer free doses to high schools and colleges.
Opioid overdoses kill about 115 Americans every day.
KION’s Ashley Keehn has reactions from Santa Cruz librarians at 5 and 6.
