Canton Health Department Becomes State-Recognized Community Narcan Distribution Partner - John Guilfoil Public Relations LLC

Oct 31, 2024

October 30, 2024 by Cody Shepard

Canton Alliance Against Substance Abuse Program Manager Isabelle Nolan with a new outdoor Narcan distribution box at the Earl Newhouse Waterfront. (Photo courtesy Town of Canton)

CANTON — The Canton Board of Health and the Canton Alliance Against Substance Abuse (CAASA) are pleased to announce that the Canton Health Department has been designated a state-recognized community Narcan distribution partner.

Massachusetts’ Community Naloxone Program (CNP) allows eligible programs to obtain Narcan through the State Office of Pharmacy, which can then be distributed to community members. The Town of Canton receives 100% fully subsidized Narcan from the state.

Canton is the first town in the area to offer 24/7 anonymous Narcan distribution. The next closest sites are in Taunton and Uxbridge.

So far, the Canton Board of Health has distributed more than 180 Narcan kits and 750 fentanyl test strips.

“We give most of our kits to community members who want to show support for their neighbors and loved ones struggling with substance use,” said Public Health Nurse Meg Goldstein. “We see a lot of positive engagement among all age groups. Research in addiction medicine really stresses the importance of involving the entire family and community in combating substance use disorders. The residents of Canton have risen to that challenge incredibly well, and we couldn’t be prouder of our community’s response to this program.”

The Narcan kits available through the Health Department include two doses of Nasal Naloxone (Narcan), four fentanyl test strips, two barrier masks for rescue breaths, and education and resources for substance use support, recovery, and overdose prevention.

In addition to being available during business hours at the Health Department, community members can get Narcan kits 24/7 at four outdoor distribution sites: Earl Newhouse Waterfront at 18 Williams St.; Devoll Field parking lot at 20 Pine St.; the corner of Washington Street and Hagan Court; and next to the Forge Pond Waterfall on Washington Street.

The outdoor distribution locations have weatherproof cabinets where people can take the kits for free at any time. The boxes aim to create opportunities for community members to obtain Narcan and other harm-reduction resources anonymously.

In the future, the Health Department plans to install more 24/7 boxes at the One Arboretum apartment complex and outside the Metropolis Skating Rink.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide these resources to the Canton community,” Public Health Nurse Maeve Moore said. “We want people to have Narcan with them before an emergency occurs so that they feel prepared and empowered to perform a rescue.”

The Health Department also offers training to teach people how to recognize signs of an overdose and how to administer the nasal spray. Public Health Nurses Moore and Goldstein recently became certified CPR instructors and will be able to add CPR, AED operation, rescue breathing, and first aid to future training.

Narcan is an opioid antagonist. It can quickly reverse the effects of a potentially fatal overdose by binding to opioid receptors and reversing or blocking the effects of other opioids, quickly restoring normal breathing. The drug has no major side effects and can be administered by members of the public with limited training.

Narcan is not dangerous if administered to a person who is not overdosing, and it has no potential for abuse.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, there were 2,125 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths in 2023, which is 232 fewer than in 2022. This decline is credited to the implementation of overdose prevention programs like the one recently initiated by the Canton Health Department and CAASA.

With the support of CAASA, the Health Department will soon be adding Xylazine testing strips to its distribution program. Xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer not approved for human use which has been increasingly present in various recreational drugs. Because it is not an opioid, a Xylazine overdose cannot be reversed with Narcan. The addition of Xylazine test strips will be critical in helping prevent lethal overdose.

The Board of Health and Health Department staff would like to thank the Select Board and Town Administrator Charles Doody for their early and enthusiastic approval of the outdoor distribution boxes. Their continued support has been critical to the growth and success of the program.

In addition to the outdoor distribution sites, community members interested in getting a Narcan kit can visit the Canton Health Department at 79 Pleasant St. from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday; and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. Kits are also available at the Canton Public Library and the Canton Council on Aging.

For more information and to view a map of distribution locations, visit the Canton Board of Health’s website.

###

Public Health Nurse Maeve Moore with a recent shipment of Narcan that was delivered to the Canton Board of Health. (Photo courtesy Town of Canton)

A Google Map shows the Narcan distribution sites in the Town of Canton. (Photo courtesy Town of Canton)

Client News canton board of health, Canton Health Department, town of canton