DAYTON — Today is Overdose Awareness Day and more than 180 people have died from overdose related deaths so far this year in Montgomery County, according to Public Health Dayton & Montgomery County.
That is a decrease from 18 percent from last year but agencies here in the Miami Valley say that number is still to high.
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There will be a free Narcan kit distribution at Riverscape in Downtown Dayton today starting at 11:30 a.m. In addition, there will be training on how to use it.
Narcan is a nasal spray used when a possible or known overdose is going on and it is supposed to help reverse the effects of opioids enough for the person who is overdosing to get professional help.
The Narcan kits being handed out are part of a partnership with Project Down and the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) of Montgomery County.
News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott spoke with a director at ADAMHS and she told McDermott a Narcan kit should be something everyone carries with them.
“Have this in your purse, have it it in your car,” said Tina Rezash Rogal, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Communication for Montgomery County ADAMHS. “I carry it in my briefcase with me every single day. I’ve never encountered someone that I’ve needed to revive with Narcan but there is some comfort in knowing that if that does happen, I have the kit right at my fingertips.”
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The kits are $75 in value and it could come in handy, according to Rezash Rogal.
“We are still seeing people hurting, still seeing people overdosing, and we want to take steps to do that,” she told McDermott. “Everyone has the opportunity to take a step to save a life and it’s as simple as a 10-15 minute training on Narcan and then keeping this kit nearby.”
The kits will be handed out Riverscape today from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
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