The Venango County Human Services department will participate in Tuesday’s observance of International Overdose Awareness Day.
“We need to get out there and promote more things for a healthier community,” said Susan Huffman, senior program specialist at Venango County Human Services.
The Human Services department will conduct a free distribution of Deterra bags and Narcan at three locations in the area from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday.
“We have been opening up to a lot of partners out there and we have really built a partnership with our faith-based (organizations),” said Huffman.
Huffman stressed that the opioid overdose treatment drug Narcan, also known as naloxone, “saves lives in our community.”
Deterra bags will keep drugs “from getting into the hands of other people who could use them… Anything we can do to save lives,” said Huffman.
There will be a senior program specialist at each of the distribution locations as well as another person to help distribute the resources.
At the distribution centers, there will be lock boxes available for storing prescription medications as well as literature on opioid overdose.
“We are just getting information out through Facebook to make an awareness,” said Huffman. “We have been blasting it out to get people to know about it.”
“The more frequently we are doing (distributions) the more it will lessen the stigma,” said Huffman. “We want to let people know there is someone out there for support.”
“Even that one person… if we get it in their hands, that is a great success,” said Huffman.
For more information or to receive Narcan, call Huffman at (814) 432-9154.
