Locally and nationally, the opioid crisis continues to grow. The issue has become so prevalent, schools began keeping the antidote Narcan on hand. Two other public places may soon join the effort to combat overdose incidents.

Those would be your local YMCA and/or public library.

Emergent BioSolutions recently acquired Narcan maker Adapt Pharma. They will provide a free kit including two doses of the nasal spray as well as educational materials to each of the 16,568 public libraries and 2,700 YMCAs in the country. The initiative builds on the Narcan in Schools program through which each high school is offered four free doses and up to eight doses to two-year and four-year colleges.

Many first responders carry Narcan and several major retailers with pharmacies offer it often without a prescription.

Opioid overdoses in Kentucky rose 11.5 percent last year. Jefferson County/Louisville had the most overdose fatalities. The full report from the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy and be seen HERE.

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