Community groups hand out free Narcan in Morehead

Several regional nonprofits came together Thursday to distribute free naloxone, also known as Narcan, to communities across Appalachia.

September 14 marks the Commonwealth’s first-ever Appalachian Save a Life Day, an event that aims to provide Narcan at no cost and educate communities about substance use disorder and the region’s opioid crisis. The initiative began in West Virginia, but expanded this year to include all 13 states in the Appalachian region. In Kentucky, the naloxone being distributed was provided by the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort (KORE).

Appalachian Save a Life Day came to Morehead State University, with a booth set up near the bell tower, distributing Narcan and resources for students to take precautions against sexually transmitted diseases. Free HIV and AIDS testing was also provided to anyone who wanted it.

Kristin Tiedeman is with Recovery Rowan County, and was helping with the booth on campus. She said events like this one give people the opportunity to receive free Narcan and guidance on how to use it, something that’s crucial for those living in Appalachia and beyond.

“We’ve been able to share about what naloxone is, what an overdose looks like, plus we’re able to provide safe sex kits and a lot of other things, just to make it more public,” she said.

Tiedeman said the more community organizers and recovery specialists are able to educate the public, the more people become aware that addiction can affect anyone. “It’s everybody. There’s no certain look or any certain person who has substance use disorder,” said Tiedeman.

Tiedeman said the booth on MSU’s campus wasn’t the only one set up in Morehead.

“We also have a table over at the downtown BP station,” she said. “We’re trying to capture the college audience as well as the general community.”

The event’s organizers said they aim to not only provide Narcan free of charge, but also make the community aware of the signs of an overdose. Some of the main signs include slow, shallow or difficulty breathing, weak pulse, pale and clammy skin, blue coloration on lips and fingernails and disorientation or loss of consciousness.

Billy O’Bryan is a Kentucky Program Manager with the nonprofit organization Young People in Recovery. He said Narcan counteracts overdoses by working as an opioid antagonist.

“It connects to the receptors in your brain and blocks the opiates from connecting to those, and it’s temporary. It’ll last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half,” he said. “It’s not a permanent fix, but it gives the person time to be able to get the treatment they need.”

O’Bryan said if someone encounters an individual experiencing an opioid overdose, they should check the scene to make sure it’s safe, call 911 and then administer Narcan. However, Narcan will not reverse overdose from cocaine, benzodiazepines like Xanax or Valium or alcohol.

More resources and information can be found online at kyhrc.org.