BUFFALO, N.Y. — Officials with the Erie County Health Department (ECDOH) said they've been made aware of at least 12 non-fatal overdoses in the last 24 hours.
So far this year, the department says there have been 58 confirmed opioid-related overdose deaths, with another 133 cases pending.
Given the numbers, the ECDOH is urging everyone, if possible to carry Narcan to potentially save a life.
They also want to remind the public of the following resources:
- Carry Narcan. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use disorder, please make sure you carry Narcan (naloxone) at all times. Narcan is available for free from the Erie County Department of Health. Call (716) 858-7695 and we will give you Narcan, no questions asked.
- Free Narcan kits are available from ECDOH staff outreach events throughout the county, and weekly at the St. John Kanty Church parking lot in Buffalo on Thursdays from 4 until 7 p.m. and at our upcoming health fair in Depew on August 22.
- Free emergency Narcan boxes are available for businesses and organizations to install in accessible areas in their facility. ECDOH will resupply these boxes with free Narcan kits as needed.
- Text for Narcan. This spring, ECDOH put in place a “Text for Narcan” program to expand access to free Narcan kits. Erie County residents can text (716) 225-5473 and we will provide you with Narcan, no questions asked.
- Never Use Alone. Call (800) 484-3731 for a confidential service that will stay on the line with you, and call 9-1-1 for you if you do not respond. This is also available as a phone app: www.neverusealone.com
- Seek Help. If you are seeking help, the Buffalo and Erie County Crisis Services Addiction Hotline is available 24/7 at (716) 831-7007. You can also walk into any hospital emergency room and enroll in Buffalo MATTERS to access MAT (medication assisted treatment) on the spot if medically eligible.
Get trained. And, as in-person Narcan use trainings have been disrupted this year, ECDOH has produced a short video on How to Save a Life with Narcan. Watch the eight-minute training on the Erie County YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8V3JkJ2sZw.