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DeKalb County received $15,000 worth of lifesaving Narcan kits, which stop fatal opioid overdoses, from the Aetna Foundation at an opioid summit in Decatur.

According to a county press release, Narcan kits contain nasal syringes prefilled with naloxone, which blocks or reverses the effects of opioids.

 

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The Narcan kits, containing 408 doses, will be distributed by the DeKalb County Department of Health to first responders to combat the opioid epidemic across the county.

“Opioid abuse and overdose is one of the most urgent public health crises facing our community today,” DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, who co-hosted the opioid summit with Stand Inc., said. “Narcan saves lives, and we need a ready supply.”

The Georgia Department of Public Health reports that from 2010 to 2016, the total number of opioid-related overdose deaths statewide increased by 117 percent, from 426 to 929 deaths.

Aetna, an organization that seeks to improve health across local communities, has nearly a thousand employees living in Atlanta, making the opioid epidemic a priority for the group, the release said.

“It is our honor to support DeKalb County’s efforts in the fight against the opioid crisis,” Frank Ulibarri, vice president and market president for Aetna in Georgia, said. “This issue is close to our hearts, and we know that real solutions have to be brought to bear in their local communities if we are going to fight this effectively.”

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