SUMMIT COUNTY, OHIO—County Executive Ilene Shapiro, Clerk of Courts Tavia Galonski, Council President Veronica Sims, Engineer Alan Brubaker, Fiscal Officer Kristen Scalise, Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh, and Sheriff Kandy Fatheree are proud to announce the installation of Naloxboxes throughout county buildings in cooperation with Summit County Public Health’s Project DAWN program. Similar to first aid kits and AEDs, Naloxboxes are boxes mounted on the wall containing two doses of naloxone, also known by its brand-name Narcan.
Naloxone is designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose caused by prescription opioids, heroin, or fentanyl. Naloxone is critical to saving lives, but it is a temporary reversal. After administering naloxone, 9-1-1 must be called for emergency medical intervention. All county staff have been provided access to training on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of an overdose, performing rescue breathing, and administering intranasal naloxone. Mental Health First Aid training courses have also been offered to staff as part of the County’s dedication to providing first aid trainings to prepare for a wide range of emergency situations.
In 2022, there were over 1,100 known overdoses in Summit County, with over 220 resulting in death. Adding naloxone to workplaces and public-facing operations is an important step to reduce the number of overdose deaths and quite literally save lives.
“We believe it is important to support both the public and our employees as part of our response to the opioid epidemic,” said Executive Shapiro. “Those struggling with substance use are experiencing some of the darkest times of their lives, often all on their own. It’s imperative as a workplace and as a community that we don’t look the other way, and instead shine a light and proactively support those who need it most.”
Over twenty Naloxboxes will be installed throughout county buildings in both public-facing and employee areas. For more information about Project DAWN, please visit https://www.scph.org/counseling/project-dawn-narcan.
Summit County residents in need of addiction resources should call the ADM Addiction Helpline at 330-940-1133.
