During a discussion at Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA agencies highlighted the availability of naloxone and reminded Pennsylvanians to keep the medication on hand to combat overdose deaths and save lives.
Pennsylvania State| On Wednesday, October 19, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) joined the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to discuss the availability of naloxone at all Pennsylvania state parks.
“A key component to decreasing overdose deaths is getting naloxone into all communities across the state,” said DDAP Special Assistant to Secretary Steve Ross. “You never know when you may come across an individual experiencing an overdose, even at unsuspecting places, such as our state parks. By making naloxone more accessible, we’re giving Pennsylvanians an additional resource for combatting the increase in fentanyl across the commonwealth.”
Many state parks have posted help for individuals struggling with addiction, such as signage containing avenues to get naloxone, resources for finding substance use disorder treatment, and educational tools. All state park officers are trained in administering naloxone and carry a naloxone kit including a pair of gloves, two prefilled, needleless intranasal devices, and a carrying case while on duty, as per DCNR requirements.
Naloxone is a medication intended to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose by quickly restoring breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped. Naloxone can be administered by individuals with or without medical training to help reduce opioid overdose deaths. Naloxone is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the DOH has resources available to educate people to use the naloxone products available to save lives.
Pennsylvania partners with Prevention Point Pittsburgh and NEXT Distro to support a statewide mail-based naloxone program for Pennsylvania residents to request and receive naloxone for free by mail. Click For More Information.
