How PHI’s California Overdose Prevention Network is Helping to Prevent Opioid Overdoses in San Benito, CA

“Little metal stands, reminiscent of newspaper boxes or Little Free Libraries, have been stationed across San Benito County. There’s one just outside San Juan Bautista’s library, one inside the Community FoodBank, and a few carefully placed around downtown Hollister. Instead of books or newspapers, they’re filled with naloxone— medication that can reverse an overdose and save a life—as well as fentanyl test kits.

Naloxone (often recognized by a brand name, Narcan) is a nasal spray that, according to the San Benito County Opioid Task Force, “quickly reverses an opioid overdose by temporarily blocking the effects of opioids in the body.”

The boxes were set up last year and are managed through the Opioid Task Force with the help of the host locations. ​Esperanza Center, for example, keeps an eye on its box and, when they’re running low on naloxone or test kits, gets supplies from the Opioid Task Force.

A mini-grant from the California Overdose Prevention Network (COPN) allowed the task force to set up the boxes. The naloxone itself is provided free to the task force by the state of California.

“Some people were not happy that we had it because they felt that it drew people to the community that they didn’t necessarily want in their backyard,” Rochelle Eagen, the San Juan Library Tech Lead, said. “But we reminded them that it saves lives. And we’ve had patrons that have lost family members due to an opioid overdose, so we are fully supportive.”

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Originally published by BenitoLink