Staff Report
Representatives of the Arkansas Behavioral Health Integration Network visited the Newton County Library on Tuesday, Nov. 21. The team was there to install a Naloxbox.
The project is funded by the Arkansas Rural Opioid Use Team Education (A-ROUTE) grant. A-ROUTE focuses on preventing opioid misuse and overdoses, as well as promoting evidence-based treatment, and supporting recovery from opioid misuse. By increasing access to naloxone and offering training on overdose prevention, the team hopes to reduce opiate overdose deaths in the state.
The class of drugs known as opioids includes specific drugs such as heroin, oxycodone, fentanyl, and hydrocodone. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 75% of drug overdose deaths in 2021 involved an opioid. The number of opioid overdoses in 2021 was ten times higher than it was in 1999.
Naloxboxes function similarly to Automated External Defibrillator (AED) boxes which are mounted to the wall in central locations in places like hospitals and police stations. Use of an AED can serve to reduce the risk of death by a cardiac event. Like an AED box, Nalox boxes contain the necessary tools to help save the lives of Arkansans.
