The East Lansing Fire Department is receiving more than 200 boxes of Narcan...the brand name for a naloxone nasal spray that can help save people from overdosing on opioids.
East Lansing Fire Inspector Blake Holt said the medication gives people suffering from an overdose time to get help from first responders.
“The sooner that we can get it out in the hands and have them use that in the community, the more successful the product is going to be, and the more successful and the better we have a chance of saving a life,” he said.
East Lansing officials said the city hasn’t had much trouble with opioid overdoses, but they add it’s important to have access to the medication and to be prepared.
The fire department plans to distribute 60 naloxone kits across East Lansing, including in city buildings, fraternities, sororities, and community living spaces.
The Mid-State Health Network, a community organization that serves 21 Michigan counties in providing mental health and substance use support services, provided upwards of $8,000 to pay for the boxes.
Dani Meier, the organization's chief clinical officer, said communities in Michigan will also benefit from receiving opioid settlement dollars that can be used to prevent opioid use, reduce the harm for drug users and support people recovering from substance abuse.
Ingham County is receiving $14 million from the settlements.
"Drug addiction is a lifelong brain disease, it's not something that just you get over and it's done," he said. "They can go on to have very productive, wonderful lives in recovery, and something can trigger a relapse and then they're at risk again. So there's a there's a whole continuum of supports, that we're hoping the opioids settlement dollars will help resource."
