DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — 184 Montgomery County residents have lost their lives to drug addiction so far this year, but even one death is too many.
This is why the Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services, in partnership with Project DAWN, are offering free Narcan kits on August 31, in honor of Overdose Awareness Day.
“While we are pleased to see overdose deaths down 18 percent in Montgomery County in 2022, when compared to 2021, 184 people have lost their lives this year,” Helen Jones-Kelley, Executive Director of ADAMHS, said.
“The families and friends of those individuals are grieving the loss of their loved ones. We must continue to look for ways to save lives, and Narcan distribution is one of the best ways to do that.”
This is the second year the state of Ohio has participated in Overdose Awareness Day to raise public awareness and to remember the lives lost to the epidemic of drug addiction.
ADAMHS and Project DAWN will offer free training on how to use Narcan to the first 25 people who come to the ADAMHS tent on RiverScape MetroPark from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. during the RiverScape Lunchtime Summer Concert Series.
The park is located at 111 E. Monument Avenue in Dayton.
Each participant in the training will receive a free Narcan kit.
“Project DAWN is a community-based drug overdose education and Narcan distribution program. Narcan can reverse an overdose caused by an opioid drug such as heroin, and pain medication such as Oxycontin,” Beth Esposito, President and CEO of Samaritan Behavioral Health and Project DAWN, said.
“With more Narcan kits available in the community, more lives can be saved, which is the goal of Project DAWN.”
