Friday, January 27, 2023
Two important life-saving tools: Narcan and Fentanyl test strips
Narcan is a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid. A fatal dose is small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil. It continues to flood the United States and lead to record numbers of overdose deaths. Fentanyl isn’t found only in drugs people inject. Illegal drug manufacturers make fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl. In fact, in 2022 the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported that 6 out of 10 fake pills they seized contained fentanyl.
Young people today can be curious to experiment and can get drugs almost anywhere — online, from friends, and on the streets. Because fentanyl is so strong, an overdose can happen within moments of ingestion. Make sure your kids know what and how common fentanyl is and what to do if they witness an overdose. Dropthefbomb.com is an online resource for parents and others. It provides basic education about fentanyl, ideas for how to talk to your kids, as well as how to use Narcan.
Narcan and fentanyl test strips are two important tools that can help save someone from overdosing.
Fentanyl test strips (pictured here) are small strips of paper that can be used to detect fentanyl in different types of drugs including pills, powders and injectables.
A small amount of a drug is dissolved in water and the test strip dipped in it. The strips are highly sensitive and can provide a result within 5 minutes. Anyone interested in obtaining free fentanyl test strips can get them from any of our harm reduction locations or can email loumetrohealth@louisvilleky.gov for more information.
Narcan is a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. It’s safe, legal, and available as an easy-to-use nasal spray. Administering it right away can save a life.
Anyone can obtain a free Narcan kit by visiting any of our harm reduction locations or the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, 400 E. Gray St., Monday through Friday, 8am – 5 pm.
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Film and panel examine 'Love in the Time of Fentanyl' at Ali Center
A screening of the documentary "Love in the Time of Fentanyl" will be held at 7 p.m. on Feb. 3 at the Muhammad Ali Center, 144 S. 6th Street. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. A panel discussion will be held after the screening. Register here to RSVP for the event.
Click here to learn more about the documentary. The film premieres on Feb. 13 on PBS.
Are you mission driven? Are you interested in improving the health and wellness of all residents of our city? If the answer is yes, we invite you to be a part of a dedicated team. Please apply today.
For more information, please email LMPHWCareers@louisvilleky.gov.
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