In an effort to save lives, Los Angeles County residents can get free naloxone — the medication that can reverse an opioid overdose — during distribution events at five select public library branches.
A rollout of the pilot program will run from Oct. 11 through Nov. 9, the county announced.
The public can attend a clinic at one of the five county libraries that will be giving out naloxone, the main ingredient contained in the brand name product Narcan. At these sessions, the public will watch a video and learn how to administer the medication to a person overdosing on an opioid such as Oxycontin or fentanyl.
People can pick up a dose of naloxone without providing identification, proof of insurance or payment, the L.A. County library reported. Only one dose per person will be provided.
Narcan is applied as a nasal spray in the nostril of a person experiencing an opioid overdose or fentanyl poisoning. As an “opioid antagonist” it attaches to opioid receptors and reverses and blocks the effects of other opioids. It usually results in restored breathing to someone who has slowed breathing or has stopped breathing due to the opioid’s effects.
“Naloxone is easy to use, anyone can carry it, and it saves lives. I have heard from parents who are scared and want to have naloxone on hand in case of an emergency in their own home,” said Fourth District Los Angeles County Supervisor and board chair Janice Hahn in a prepared statement.
The rollout is the second part of implementing a board motion authored by Hahn a year ago. First, library personnel at the system’s 85 locations were trained to administer Narcan. Hahn had asked that libraries also become Narcan distribution centers to the public.
The distribution rollout will take place at five libraries: East Los Angeles Library, 4837 E 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90022; Lennox Library, 4359 Lennox Blvd., Lennox, CA 90304; Lancaster Library, 601 W Lancaster Blvd., Lancaster, CA 93534; Leland R. Weaver Library, 4035…
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