Need to save a life? Narcan Vending Machines Now in Yakima
Narcan. It's an anti-opioid overdose drug that saves lives. Earlier this summer the Yakima Health District distributed 1500 doses of Narcan to hot spots in the city where overdoses happen. Narcan was first distributed to three local restaurants in the area then to other businesses.
NARCAN CAN NOW BE FOUND IN VENDING MACHINES IN YAKIMA
Now the question remains where to place a new Narcan vending machine. The district purchased two vending machines earlier this year. One has been placed in the Yakima Health District Office in Union Gap and health officials are now looking at areas in the city where they could place a second vending machine.
How can I get naloxone or narcan without a vending machine?
- Naloxone is covered by Medicaid in Washington State.
- Naloxone can be dispensed at pharmacies without a prescription.
Yakima County Coroner Jim Curtice says so far this year 70 people have died of a drug overdose. The number was 61 at the end of last month. Curtice says the numbers are growing with fentanyl remaining what Curtice calls "the main culprit" in more than half the deaths.
THE STATE IS NOW A LEADER IN OVERDOSE DEATHS
Washington now leads the country not just in the percentage increase in deaths, but also the number of increased deaths (688 more than in the prior 12-month period).
According to the CDC, Washington has seen a nation-leading 28.4% increase in drug-overdose deaths between March 2022 and March 2023 (up from 23.9% for the period between February 2022 and February 2023). Oregon ranks second at 19.6%, followed by Nevada (19%) and Alabama (14%). The national average is a miniscule 0.1% increase.
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