GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Health officials warn that extremely cold weather could render lifesaving overdose reversal drug Narcan ineffective.
Nationally, overdose deaths declined by 14% nationally from June 2023 to June 2024, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . There were about 97,000 deaths in that 12-month period, compared to an estimated 113,000 in the previous period. Some experts have credited naloxone, often known by delivery system brand Narcan, which can reverse overdoses and save lives.
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Between January 2023 and August 2024, 92 people in Kent County died from opioid overdoses, according to the county medical examiner’s office . The number of deaths dropped from recent years.
The Kent County Health Department is one of many places in the county with a vending machine that dispenses Narcan for free.
“We’ve seen a huge increase in the distribution of Narcan,” said Rachel Jantz, a public health epidemiologist for the health department. “We think we’ve seen a decrease in stigma of folks carrying Narcan, as well knowing the opioid overdose affects everyone in our community.”
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The Narcan delivery system is administered the same way as a allergy nasal spray. Jantz said it is best stored at room temperature and below 77 degrees. When temperatures fall below 5 degrees, however, Narcan can freeze and it won’t spray out of the vial. There is a solution, even if it’s been frozen for a while…