KANSAS CITY, Mo. — People in Kansas City, Missouri, can now get Narcan for free from the city’s health department.
Narcan is the name-brand version of a medication called naloxone, which reverses the effects of opioid overdoses.
In April, the department launched its “Harm Reduction Program.” The program allows the department to visit events to pass out Narcan.
The medication is also available for free from a dispenser on the second floor of the health department headquarters at 2400 Troost Avenue in KCMO.
“We would hope everyone is on the path to recovery and seeking treatment, but we also realize you won’t get there if you succumb to an opioid overdose,” said Tobias Liu, an administrative officer at the health department who oversees the Harm Reduction Program. “By having this preventative medicine out there first, we can ensure there are effective responses.”
Since April, the program’s distributed more than 190 kits, which include two doses of Narcan each.
The Narcan is free to the city through the Missouri Institute for Mental Health’s N.O.R.T.H. Star program [Navigating Opioid Response Through Harm Reduction].
The National Institutes of Health said fentanyl has helped fuel opioid overdoses since 2015.
“Any measure we could take to save an individual's life is worth it,” Andy Burris said.
Burris founded the Cruz 4 Life Foundation after his 15-year-old son Cruz died in January from fentanyl poisoning.
Burris, who lives in Lansing, Kansas, handed out Narcan at a rally his foundation held in Leavenworth last month.
“In this day and age, you just can't be too careful for certain, and Narcan is easier to use than a defibrillator,” Burris said.
His only worry is Narcan may give opioid abusers a false sense of security. But he believes the benefits outweigh the negatives.
Burris wears a pin on his shirt with a picture of his son.
He hopes work of his foundation and groups like the Missouri Institute for Mental Health prevent other parents from losing their children.
The KCMO Health Department is seeking people with lived experiences in the opioid arena to participate in a harm reduction coalition.
Anyone interested can email Shannon Roberts at SLRoberts@umkc.edu.
—
