Latest news with #OnePillKills'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Olney Police equips residents with free Narcan
OLNEY (KFDX/KJTL) — Dozens of community members in Olney attended a Narcan training event on Thursday, March 27, 2025, to not only be informed but to be equipped to battle the ongoing fentanyl fight in Texoma. RELATED: Texas launches interactive map to find Narcan, prevent fentanyl overdoses The training session was hosted by the Olney Police Department, with two sessions taking place at the Olney Civic Center at 11 a.m. and noon on Thursday. Representatives with the Central Plains Center led the training session. According to Dan Birbeck, Olney's Chief of Police, the ongoing fentanyl epidemic isn't just impacting large cities but smaller communities all over Texas. 'We do know that there's fentanyl here,' Chief Birbeck said. 'We're dealing with a lot of methamphetamine, heroine, cocaine, things like that, but it's laced with fentanyl. It's dangerous because you don't see it.' As a part of the training event, free doses of Narcan were given to concerned citizens, church leaders, parents, and grandparents. They were instructed on how to use the potentially life-saving treatment in detail. RELATED: Breaking Fentanyl's Grip: The dangers and efforts of relief 'We're educating our community and getting Narcan into the hands of people that can make a difference and save a life,' Chief Birbeck said. Attendees also learned how to spot the signs of an overdose, what to do if they suspect someone they know is experiencing an opioid overdose, and what to do after they distribute Narcan. 'I always say, cops and paramedics are minutes away when seconds count,' Chief Birbeck said. 'The Narcan is just kind of a stop-gap to get them from where they overdosed to a medical facility so they can truly reverse the effects.' According to officials with the Central Plains Center, Narcan's effects last for 30 to 90 minutes. They said that after distributing Narcan, someone experiencing an overdose should be taken to a hospital as soon as possible because they could potentially go back into overdose. Cam Montoya, a Young County resident, was in attendance on Thursday morning. She said she's seen the impact of dangerous drugs in her community. 'A lot of the drugs that are in Young County nowadays, I mean, people are overdosing all the time,' Montoya said. 'The Narcan will really come in handy.' After receiving the training and her free doses of Narcan, Montoya said she hopes she never has to use it, but she's ready if she ever does. 'I have three grandchildren that are in their teens, so I worry about them getting ahold of the wrong stuff,' Montoya said. RELATED: Why every home should have Narcan Gov. Greg Abbott announced on March 26, 2025, the launch of a new interactive website that allows users to locate where Narcan is available for free or to purchase. This new tool, run by the Texas Department of State Health Services, is a part of the statewide 'One Pill Kills' campaign launched in 2022 in an effort to prevent fentanyl overdose deaths in Texas. NARCAN locations through the new tool include the following, as provided by Abbott's office: Type of site (e.g., community health clinics, recovery support services, vending machines) Hours of location Phone number Website Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New tool launched to prevent fentanyl poisonings in Texas
AUSTIN (KXAN) – Texans can now locate where Naloxone (NARCAN) is available for free or for purchase through a new online interactive map. Gov. Greg Abbott announced the launch of this new tool run by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) as part of the statewide 'One Pill Kills' campaign launched in 2022, in an effort to prevent fentanyl poisonings in Texas. 'Texas must continue to do more until the scourge of fentanyl is completely eradicated from our communities. With this new interactive map, Texans will be able to easily find nearby locations that can provide NARCAN by typing in an address or zip code,' Abbott said in the release. NARCAN locations through the new tool include the following, as provided by Abbott's office: Type of site (e.g., community health clinics, recovery support services, vending machines) Hours of location Phone number Website 'This NARCAN locator map is another tool in our fight against fentanyl-related poisonings that have affected Americans in such a devastating way,' DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford, MD, MPH, said in the release. 'Health care providers, first responders, and members of the public can pick up and have this life-saving medication on hand and ready for use for when an opioid overdose emergency occurs.' The DSHS's Texas Overdose Data to Action (TODA), partnered with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, to identify and update the NARCAN distribution locations on the map. The release said the launch of this new tool is just one of many efforts made by Abbott to combat the fentanyl crisis in Texas, including distributing NARCAN statewide to all Texas police departments and signing four laws provided by Abbott's office below: Created a criminal offense of murder for supplying fentanyl that results in death. Established October as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month Require public schools to provide research-based instruction on fentanyl abuse prevention and drug poisoning awareness to students in grades 6 through 12 Allow the distribution of opioid antagonists to Texas colleges and universities Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
