OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Health has launched an online site to help people find free naloxone.
The website, Naloxone Finder, is hosted on the Department of Health website, which is intended to make it easier for people to find free, nearby naloxone, according to a release from the Washington Department of Health.
The Washington Department of Health said that preliminary data from 2024 shows that more than 3,100 people in Washington state died from drug overdoses and that opioids were involved in 79% of those deaths.
The Naloxone Finder provides information from organizations that offer free naloxone, along with instructions and other resources. Organizations that would like to add their resources to the site can fill out a form to add their program.
In 2018, the Addictions, Drugs and Alcohol Institute at the University of Washington developed a similar tool to help people find free naloxone near them as a part of https://stopoverdose.org/.
The Department of Health thanked the ADAI for its leadership in creating and using the online tool and for their partnership.
Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is a medication that reverses opioid overdoses by blocking the effects of the drug and restoring normal breathing within minutes. It is even effective during overdoses involving fentanyl.
Naloxone is available as an injection or as a nasal spray, requires no special training and is safe to use for all ages, even if there is no overdose.
“We’re grateful to the community and public organizations across the state that continue to offer free naloxone and help keep this resource up to date,” said Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, MD, MPH, State Health Officer. “The Naloxone Finder is especially valuable to those who should carry it: people who use opioids and those they interact with, including their friends, family, and loved ones.”
