Beginning Friday, April 7, 2023, the Audrain County Health Department will be offering the opioid overdose reversing drug Nalaxone, free for area residents.

Nalaxone is commonly known as NARCAN. Audrain County Health Department Administrator and CEO Craig Brace says the health department is proud to be able to offer this program through the help of the Missouri Institute of Mental Health. "We know through being able to offer this program to residents struggling with opioid addiction, this will undoubtedly save lives."

The program will be free to either Audrain County residents or the Audrain County Health Department. It is being paid for through the Missouri Institute of Mental Health using monies collected from national opioid settlements from drug manufacturers.

Audrain County Health Department Clinical Services Manager Becky Wieberg, RN, says the hope is to get the drug into as many hands of those affected by opioid addiction as possible to curb the amount of overdoses we are seeing. "All they have to do is come to the health department's physical location at 1130 South Elmwood Drive in Mexico and request a Naloxone kit. One will be provided at no cost and, it will all be anonymous as well. We are not asking for any identifying information in order to receive the kit."

According to the Audrain County Health Department in 2022 the Audrain County Ambulance District responded to 48 non-specific overdose, calls which means not all were opioid related.

Audrain County Health Department CEO Craig Brace says the numbers don't lie. "We're seeing an increase in the number of overdoses and, if we can this counteractive drug into the hands of the user, or someone close to them, we may be able to save more lives and avoid a tragedy from developing further. Addiction is already a tragedy in itself. Adding the loss of a loved one to the mix because of it, when it's avoidable, should be avoided at all costs."