KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Public Library is offering new harm reduction kits, which include essential hygiene products, first aid kits, fentanyl test strips and naloxone at all 10 library branches.
"You can come in, the kits are available, you just grab whatever it is that you need, no questions asked," said Kim Gyle, director of branch services with the Kansas City Public Library.
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The harm-reduction kits are part of a a joint effort between KCPL and First Call, an organization devoted in reducing and educating the public on substance abuse in Kansas City. Training is also being offered to library staff so they can spot signs of an overdose and administer naloxone.
"We were hearing from staff members that they were encountering community members that could be in need of Narcan or Naloxone or other basic needs, especially during the colder months," said Margaux Mueller, director of prevention services with First Call. "We forget that the library is such a good resource so many people access the library for different things."
The kits are free and paid for through a variety of state and federal funds, but due to limited funding only 500 kits have been distributed to KCPL branches. According to Mueller, depending on where you go, a bottle of Narcan can cost more than $70 a dose and these kits address affordability and accessibility.
"I think that the number of deaths from overdose would definitely be reduced if Narcan was more accessible, it's also about educating the community that any drug that you buy off the street today is potentially dangerous and could take your life," Mueller said. "There's a myth out there that if we give out Narcan we're just enabling people to use drugs, but it's not about enabling people to use drugs, it's about saving lives."
The harm-reduction kits come after the Kansas City Public Health Department reported seeing an almost 1,000% increase in synthetic opioid deaths between 2017 and 2021. The health department is also offering free Narcan kits.
"The library is a very trusted institution, and that is a very earned trust, and it's earned every single day within our libraries," Gyle said. "We value confidentiality, we value intellectual freedom and people's ability to get the information that they need and what you check out from the library or what you get from the library is only your business."
