Free Naloxone offered Thursday at Save a Life Day locations in Morgan County

Two locations in Morgan County will be host sites for Free Naloxone Day this Thursday, September 8. This year, all 55 counties of West Virginia will hold this event, which offers free Naloxone kits to the public. Many people know naloxone by one of its brand names, Narcan. Narcan is an easy-to-use nasal spray with no adverse side effects that works to reverse opioid overdoses. Naloxone has been approved by the FDA for over 50 years. In its third year, Save a Life Day will include every county for the first time. A statewide map of over 150 events at savealifewv.org. CNB Bank on Washington Street in Berkeley Springs, and Union Chapel United Methodist Church in Berkeley Springs are two distribution points for the event on Thursday. They will operate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees will receive one Narcan kit, an in-person training, and information about local resources. The training often takes just 5-10 minutes and people can show up anytime. Save a Life Day is made possible by support from the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy, which supplies most of the Narcan for the statewide event. Key logistics support also comes from the University of Charleston Pharmacy School and the West Virginia Office of Maternal Child & Family Health. This year’s major sponsors include: Aetna, Ayuda Medical, CareSource, CAMC Foundation, Community Connections, Unicare, and the West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute. West Virginia lost an average of two family members to fatal overdoses each day in 2021, down from over three lives lost a day, on average, in 2020. The theme for September 8th is “Meeting People Where They Are.” What this looks like for Save A Life Day events is getting a larger portion of naloxone to people at risk of overdose by focusing distribution on high-risk areas, incorporating outreach strategies, and partnering with people who use drugs. The West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute is also providing over 10,000 fentanyl test strips across the state for free distribution at Save a Life Day events. Locations in Berkeley and Jefferson counties include Inwood Family Dollar, New Life Community Church, Family Dollar on Winchester Ave., Martinsburg City Town Square, Martinsburg Fire Station 1 on Raleigh St., NewLeaf Dispensary on Foxcroft Ave., Berkeley Day Report Center, Berkeley County DHHR, 7-Eleven in Falling Waters, Bentley’s Specialty Pet Food in Hedgesville, Mountaineer Recovery Center, Knutti Hall on the Shepherd University Campus, 7 Sea’s Food Store, Jefferson County Community Ministries. In addition, five mobile outreach teams will be distributing Narcan in high-risk neighborhoods within the tri-county area. “Save a Life Day is about communities taking care of each other. It activates the local organizations and individuals that see every life as precious and worth saving. When we reach out to those in the depths of despair, we send the message that we want you to be well, and when you’re ready to begin healing we are here to help,” explained Dr. Didden, Medical Director of Overdose Prevention and Innovation Projects at the WV Bureau for Public Health.