DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — According to a semiannual report from the Illinois Department of Public Health, over 3,000 Illinois residents died from drug overdoses in 2022.
While deaths have slowly decreased in the past two years, the number still isn't zero.
The Macon County Health Department has released locations of Narcan boxes to help lower those fatality numbers.
Some locations where individuals can find the emergency nasal spray include the Macon County Health Department, both the Mount Zion and Decatur Police Departments, and Oasis Day Center.
"Some locations will have an indoor box and an outdoor box. So, if you don’t want to go into the building to ask for it, you can access it from outside, said Amber Holthaus, the Director of Nursing at the Macon County Health Department.
Symptoms of a drug overdose include chest pains, slowed breathing, and, in severe cases, becoming unresponsive.
If you see an overdose situation, it’s important to act fast.
“Typically, the person is obviously going to be laying on the ground. You want to try and wake them up, call 911, and then you will open the package of Narcan and spray it into one nostril, and then you’ll monitor their breathing pattern for 2 to 3 minutes. If there’s no response, you can administer again. And a typical box of Narcan has two doses in it,” said Holthaus.
Every box of Narcan does contain instructions, so there's no fear about doing it correctly.
Individuals may worry about judgement while asking for Narcan.
It's important to just ignore any negative stigma that may surround the use of Narcan. Because end of the day, it really is a medicine that could save a life.
“People don’t want to admit those things a lot of times, but every life is worth saving. So even if you’re not sure that you will ever come in contact with somebody who could potentially experience an overdose, it’s good to be prepared," said Holthaus.
For a list of Narcan box locations, click here.
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