The FDA approved NARCAN® (naloxone hydrochloride) Nasal Spray for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose. In 2013, opioid overdose related deaths claimed over 24,500 lives and this number continues to grow. NARCAN Nasal Spray, a ready-to-use, needle-free device, delivers a 4 mg dose of naloxone in a single 0.1 ml nasal spray. NARCAN Nasal Spray requires no assembly or priming prior to use and can be administered in an emergency by family members, caregivers, or others to reverse the effects of opiod overdose until help arrives. Read more about NARCAN® Nasal Spray.
Local health departments play an important role in preventing overdose deaths by providing education and distributing Naloxone in their communities. To see how local health departments are combating the opioid overdose epidemic, read about Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided with Naloxone), a community-based overdose education and naloxone distribution program through the Cuyahoga County (OH) Board of Health.